Blood Lines
by ohmysnape
Summary: After the deaths of James and Lily Potter, their children, Ariel (2), and Harry (1), are left in need of guardians. Thinking it's best for their safety, Dumbledore sends Harry to live with the Dursleys, while Ariel is taken by none other than Severus Snape. The story begins the night after the Potter's death and continues through the last book.
1. Chapter 1

Numb. He felt numb.

"James and Lily... put their faith in the wrong people, Severus..." Dumbledore was saying.

Snape heard nothing.

After several moments of painful silence, Severus met Dumbledore's teary eyes.  
>"You said, no, you <em>SWORE<em> they would be safe."

He meant for his words to come out in a snarl, in a tone that was show Dumbledore how disgusted he was with him, and with himself. But it came out in a broken whisper.

Dumbledore took a hesitant step towards Snape. "No one could have foreseen what happened that night, Severus." Dumbledore said, "But the children DID survive"

Severus just stared. _Lily_. _HIS Lily_, was gone, the love of his life, ripped from him. He felt his heart clench painfully in his chest. Dumbledore knew what this was doing to him, he knew the guilt was tearing him apart, and he dared to mention _James Potter's_ children at this moment.

"They don't need protection anymore, the Dark Lord is gone." Snape said his voice shaking. He twisted his hands in his robe.

Dumbledore took another step towards him. "But he _will_ return," he said, his voice full of emotion, "And when he does, the children will be in terrible danger."

Severus felt tears pouring down his face. Yes, the children had survived, but the one thing he himself had wanted to save was still gone.

_All because of him._

After weeks of following Dumbledore, Snape had overheard the holy grail of information. A prophecy, speaking of two children, would be the ones to defeat the Dark Lord. After being thrown out of the tavern, he had immediately told his master, but never did he imagine that it would be about the Potters. He had begged for Lily's life, groveled at Voldemort's feet for her life.

It had all been in vain.

And now here he was, tears streaming down his face, and Dumbledore had the audacity to ask him to protect the spawn of his enemy.

"Harry has her eyes, you know." Dumbledore whispered. Snape's head shot up. "And Ariel, she looks just like her."

Snape closed his eyes. He had only seen a glimpse of the brats. The little girl had been crying silently, keeping her hand on her infant brother's arm. She was two, and she had witnessed everything. She watched her parents die, and then was forced to cower in terror as the same dark wizard attempted to murder her and her brother. Minerva was with them now, they were probably sleeping.

"What do you want from me, Albus?" Snape whispered, his voice begging the old man to let him leave. He wanted to be alone now. Actually, he wanted to die, but that was too easy. He deserved to suffer.

Dumbledore looked at him, his blue eyes full of understanding. He had heard Snape's silent plea.

"Go home, Severus." He said gently. "Get some rest, I will call for you in a day or so to discuss what we should do with the children."

Snape couldn't fathom why he would be needed to decide what would happen to the saviors of the wizarding world, but he didn't want to stay any longer. Without even a nod, Snape quickly fled the room and flooed to his home in Spinner's End.

And then his grief engulfed him.


	2. Chapter 2

After a week, a week of solitude, Dumbledore finally sent an owl asking Snape to come to Hogwarts at his earliest convenience.

He had been dreading this. He did not want to see Dumbledore, and he especially did not want to see the children. Besides the fact that he had indirectly killed their parents, he had no intentions of being anywhere near the children of James bloody Potter.

But for some reason Snape could not fathom, the old coot wanted him there.

He quickly wrote back that he would arrive at 1, and decided it was probably a good idea to shower; he couldn't remember the last time he had taken one. That was probably a really bad thing, but he didn't care.

As one o'clock approached, he felt his stomach twisting in knots.

_"The girl looks just like her"_ Dumbledore had said. Curse the old man, playing with his emotions like that. He hated the fact that Dumbledore knew everything.

Snape sighed and stepped into the fireplace and shouted "Headmaster's office!"

As Snape stepped out of the green flames, he was met with the sound of a little girl laughing. Dumbledore was sitting at his desk, levitating a jewel encrusted box. Shrieking with laughter, the little girl ran behind the couch and sat down.

Snape almost passed out.

_The girl was a carbon copy of Lily._ Shoulder length, dark, wavy red hair fell around the girl's face. Everything was the same, even down to the skin tone. Snape stood there gaping. The little girl suddenly turned her attention to the new arrival, and the man almost fell to the floor again.

_"She doesn't have her eyes"_ he thought, almost relieved.

That would have been too much for him. In place of the emeralds that he once knew, was a pair of dark, almost black, eyes, with specks of gold and green. It reminded him of his own ey-

"Ah, Professor Snape!" the old man called out. The twinkle was back in his eyes. "I'd like you to meet someone."

The girl was walking towards Snape. He instinctively felt the urge to back up, or even glare at the girl in order to stop her advances, but stopped himself. The little Lily look-alike grinned at Snape, and broke into a run. She stopped at his feet and put her arms in the air.

Snape shot Dumbledore a confused look.

"I think Ariel means for you to pick her up." Dumbledore said softy.

Snape nearly fell to the floor. He had never been fond of children, and the children he taught usually wanted nothing to do with him either. And this was _James Potter's daughter_. The spawn of his hated enemy, requesting that Severus Snape pick her up.

But she was also Lily's.

Snape reluctantly picked the girl up.

As he looked closer at her face, he couldn't see any traces of James Potter. Her eyes were dark, but glittered with excitement. She threw her head back and laughed when Snape gave her what he called a smile, revealing the scar he had read about in the Daily Prophet. There was indeed a bright red, lightning shaped scar on her forehead. The boy was rumored to have one as well. Snape shivered; this scar was the result of some very dark, very powerful magic.

Ariel grinned at him. Snape stifled the urge to snort; a small child was smiling at him. Hell must be freezing over.

"Where's the other one, the boy?" Snape asked. He really didn't care, he was trying to ignore the beaming girl in his arms. He didn't like this.

"With Minerva." Dumbledore replied, standing up. "She said he didn't sleep well last night, and was a bit fussy this morning"

_Typical Potter behavior,_ Snape thought. _Obviously already developing his father's bad habits._

Snape began to ask if anyone was else was coming, but was interrupted when the girl finally spoke.

"Hi!" she said, in a clear a confident voice.

Snape stared.

She giggled and began to play with a strand of his hair.

"Professor Snape, I'd like you to meet Ariel." Dumbledore said, with a hint of pride in his voice. Dumbledore turned to Ariel, "This was the man I was telling you about last night."

Ariel had stopped playing with Snape's hair and was looking intently between Snape and Dumbledore. She looked like she was thinking.

"The nice man who helped try to save Mummy and Daddy?" she said quietly, looking directly into Dumbledore's eyes.

Dumbledore nodded.

Snape wanted to hex the old man into another life. Snape did _NOT_ want to be presented to the brats as a hero. He didn't want to be presented to them at all. There were too many things wrong with this picture.

Snape had killed the girl's parents. The girl's parents hated Snape (or at least Potter had). Snape was holding the spawn of his sworn nemesis. And yet he was being presented as some sort of war hero.

Yes, there were too many things wrong with this picture.

And yet, he felt his heart swell a little bit as the girl looked at him in awe.

It took everything he had not to drop the girl and curse Dumbledore into oblivion.  
>His lip curled back and was about to deny the statement when the girl suddenly leaned her head against his shoulder.<p>

Snape froze.

Dumbledore beamed. "Well, now that you two have been properly introduced, let's get down to business." Dumbledore said as he turned toward his desk, still was taking all of Snape's self control not to scream at the man. He felt as if he was playing into one of the coot's schemes.

Snape cautiously followed, swinging the girl onto his hip. She snuggled deeper into his shoulder. He shot her a glare that would make s first year Hufflepuff absolutely hysterical, but she responded with such a big smile that all he could do was look away. No, he did not like any of this one bit.

He began to lower Ariel into a chair facing Dumbledore's desk, but the girl squirmed and gripped Snape's arm tightly. Severus Snape was not going to attend this meeting with a small child on his lap, even if it was just Dumbledore. No, actually, that should concern him more. _**It**_ _**was Dumbledore**_. He would never hear the end of this if he let the brat on his lap. And yet, the little Potter spawn wouldn't let go.

"Severus", Dumbledore said in an amused tone, "why not just let the girl sit with you?" Snape closed his eyes and breathed out slowly. He was never going to hear the bloody end of this one. Severus Snape, cuddling with a little sat down and roughly plopped the girl onto his lap. The little brat had the audacity to laugh.

Idiot child.

Bloody Potter.

The room was silent for a moment. Snape breathed deeply and decided to finally speak."Headmaster," Snape began slowly, "I have to admit, I'm quite confused as to why my presence was requested here today. You had mentioned that today's meeting was in regards to the children's guardianship?"

Dumbledore smiled."Yes, my dear boy," he said, his blue eyes twinkling brightly, "To be specific, today's meeting is in regards to Ariel's."

Speaking of the brat, she had been rather quiet. She was lying in Snape's lap, listening rather intently to the conversation.

"And my presence was required _because_..." Snape began, meaning for Dumbledore to continue.

Dumbledore's eyes grew brighter."Because, my dear boy, I believe _you_ should be her guardian."


	3. Chapter 3

Snape was in Dumbledore's face so fast that the old wizard barely had any time to react.

"Is this your idea of keeping me in line?" Snape whispered, his voice shaking with rage, "Of making sure I don't go back to _old habits?_ Have I not sacrificed enough? Did I not deceive one the darkest wizards of all time? Did I not fulfill my duties?" Snape's voice was slowly getting louder. "And now, you want me to raise the child of James bloody Potter and _her_." His voice nearly cracked on the last word. "When does this end, old man? Oh wait, I forgot, it apparently doesn't, _BECAUSE YOU WANT ME TO RAISE THEIR BLOODY CHILD._" He practically spat the last words out.

Dumbledore seemed taken aback for a moment, and then assumed that idiotic smile of his "Severus, I-"

"No." Snape hissed, "I will _not_. I decline. No. Way. In. Hell."

Suddenly, a sharp pain hit his foot. Snape whirled around and saw no one.

He looked down.

Ariel was standing by his legs, arms crossed, and glaring.

"You little brat!" Snape snarled, leaning down so he was face to face with the child. Of course Potter's daughter would be a rude, spoiled brat, having no regard for others. It seems she had already begun, stomping on his foot for no apparent reason.

The girl kept glaring right back at him, not even remotely intimidated by him. That was a first.

Snape turned to face Dumbledore, and was shocked to see the man was smiling at the girl.

"It seems," the headmaster said with a chuckle, "That you knocked Ms. Potter off your lap when you stood up."

Snape felt a twinge of guilt. No, he didn't feel guilty. He couldn't. The girl had stomped on his foot, the brat. He was furious. But that fire that had been raging against the tiny girl just a second ago was gone. He pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and pointer finger and closed his eyes. It was silent for a moment, and then he sank back into the chair across from Dumbledore. Ariel didn't attempt to crawl into his lap, but instead, continued glaring.

"Headmaster," Snape said, eyes still closed, "_Why_ in Merlin's name would you even consider me a candidate as the girl's guardian?"

It was quiet for another moment. Snape looked up, and saw Dumbledore looking up, thoughtfully. Finally, the Headmaster looked at him. "Severus, despite what you may think at the moment," Dumbledore began slowly, "You are a good man at heart." Snape began to protest, but Dumbledore lifted his hand, "Let me finish, my friend. You were a young, impressionable teenager when you joined _him,_ but you redeemed yourself, despite what you think, when you risked your life for Lily and her family. I know you think differently, and that it may take a long time, maybe even the rest of your life to realize that, but it is true."

Snape stared at his hands, but looked up when Dumbledore said Lily's name. His heart beat painfully in his chest. _Why_ did he have to keep bringing her up? It was bad enough that her clone was glaring at him.

"I never told you this," Dumbledore said softy, "But she came to me after we agreed to cast the Fidelius Charm. She asked me to thank you, and that she was sorry. I decided not to tell you at the time because of what was happening, but I think it's time that you heard it."

It took all of Snape's self control to not break down at that moment. _Lily_ _had apologized to him? _He had sentenced her and her husband to death the second his uttered the prophecy to the Dark Lord, and _she _had been remorseful? It was too much for Snape to bear.

There was another, long silence.

"You still haven't answered my question." Snape said suddenly looking up, "Why would I be a candidate for guardianship? Why do you want _me?"_

Dumbledore sighed. "Because, Severus, she needs someone strong. Someone who will be able to protect her, despite their emotions. Someone who is skilled in the dark arts to guide her, and to teach her. Someone who will love her and support her despite what others may come to think of her."

Snape had stood up at the word "love."

He admitted it; he had only been with the child two minutes and, to put it lightly, not immediately hated the brat. How could he, she was the spitting image of _her_. Although he did not care for the foot stomping. And glaring. And even worse, _the cuddling._

But he could raise the child, raise her as his own and squash out any remnants of James Potter that were left. He could hear Potter rolling in his grave at the thought of Snape raising his precious daughter. Snape smirked to himself.

But he could also raise her for Lily.

This could be his chance to make things right. To really make up for what he had done. He could protect her, teach her, and lo- well maybe that would need some clarifying. But the brat could become his. He could have some meaning in his life again, now that Lily was gone. And standing in front of him, _still_ glaring, was a little Lily Evans.

"Why not Remus, or the Weasleys, or some Ministry family?" Snape shot back "Surely someone would be willing to adopt her. She's the savior of the wizarding world, for Merlin's sake!"

Dumbledore raised a silvery eyebrow. "As you know, Severus, the Ministry has passed laws that ban werewolves as guardians. As for the Weasleys and any other family willing to adopt Ariel, I don't find it to be in her best interest. The ministry would use her as propaganda and parade her around. I don't want her to grow up with a swelled head. She needs to be protected, and well educated on what she will face when she's older."

"But, SURELY there has to be someone other than me that fits the qualifications! What about-" Snape stopped suddenly. The boy. What about the boy?

"Albus," Snape said slowly, "Where will the boy go?"

Dumbledore's face fell, and looked down at Ariel. She was no longer standing and glaring at Snape. She was in the corner, playing with a doll, singing softy to herself.

"I've decided," Dumbledore began slowly, in a low voice, "That it would be in the children's best interests if we separated them until Harry is old enough to attend Hogwarts. There are still Death Eaters at large, looking for them, looking for revenge, and I don't think it's wise to have them both in the same household. Until he's old enough, Harry will be staying with his aunt and uncle. The blood wards will protect him, as you will protect Ariel."

Snape blinked, shocked. Dumbledore was _separating them?_ They had just lost their parents; did he really think it was wise to tear brother and sister apart too? He was about to protest and then shut his mouth. He didn't want to be asked to take the boy as well. Merlin knew, he would have more than enough on his plate with the girl. Having one Potter was bad enough.

Snape sighed and sat back down in the chair once more.

There was another long moment of silence until Snape finally spoke.

"Fine."


	4. Chapter 4

_What am I getting myself into?_ Snape thought to himself as got out of bed three days later. Today was the day that Ariel was to come home with him. He had told himself numerous times that he could do this, he had deceived one of the darkest wizards of all time, surely he could raise a child.

But this wasn't just any child. This was Ariel _Potter,_ how he loathed saying that name, the Golden Child, the savior, the chosen one. And he, Severus Snape, was given the responsibility many wizards and witches would have killed for; raising her. At first, Dumbledore had suggested just a legally binding adoption, something that would make Snape a guardian on paper. But then he had the brilliant idea of a blood adoption. Snape was hesitant at first, he was hesitant about the entire idea actually, but the old man decided it would be the safest way to proceed. No one could take Ariel away after the blood adoption was complete; even if the Ministry found out, Snape would be Ariel's father by blood. There would be nothing they could do.

Severus Snape did not scare easy, but the idea of becoming a father terrified him.

Actually, he loathed the idea. He did not like children, and this child was the product of the man he hated most and the only person he had ever loved. Although the girl didn't look anything like Potter to his relief, but the fact that she was Lily's clone made Snape's heart clench painfully in his chest. Would he _really _be able to do this? Would he be able to raise the girl as Ariel, without seeing Lily every time he looked at her?

Ariel had said goodbye to her brother earlier that week. Snape had not been present, but from what Dumbledore had told him, she had understood why it had to be done and said a tearful goodbye

"There's a certain… maturity to her, Severus. She's been through a lot, she's _seen_ things many wizards and witches will never see in their lifetimes…" Dumbledore had paused and murmured "She'll be a powerful witch, more powerful than I imagined."

At five o'clock, Severus made his way into the Headmaster's office. Ariel was sitting on the floor, levitating blocks with McGonagall's wand. She looked up at Snape and grinned, seemingly forgetting about their previous encounter.

"Sev'rus!" she yelled, running over to him.

Snape raised an eyebrow and looked at the headmaster. He gave a quick nod to McGonagall, who gave him a small smile in return.

"She's been referring to you as that for the past few days," Dumbledore explained, smiling at the girl.

Snape rolled his eyes. He bent down and looked at Ariel.

The girl was grinning ear to ear. He couldn't fathom why she got so excited whenever she saw him.

"Ariel," McGonagall said, bending down next to Snape, "Severus is going to be adopting you tonight. Do you remember what that means?"

Ariel nodded. "He's going to be in charge of me, like you've been. He'll protect me from now on."

Snape was impressed at how well the girl spoke for her age. He nodded in approval of her response.

"Correct," he said, nodding at Ariel.

"You're… you're going to be my daddy." She said, eyes widening a bit.

Snape felt Dumbledore and McGonagall's eyes on him. He could feel the blood rushing to his face; he didn't know what to say. He didn't want to say anything.

Thankfully, the witch performing the adoption walked through the door, delaying _that_ conversation for the moment. Snape couldn't remember her name, nor did he care, but Dumbledore had assured Snape that she was trustworthy. She quickly revealed a silver chalice from under her cloak, and her wand.

"If I could have to parent and child stand before me, please" she said, motioning to Snape.

Snape reluctantly picked up Ariel and set her down in front of the witch. He took his place beside her. The witch filled the chalice with a thick, purple potion and muttered for several minutes in Latin, eyes closed. After completing the spell, the witch removed a small needle from her cloak.

"I need blood from father and daughter." She commanded.

Snape nodded and took the needle from her. He quickly pricked her finger and squeezed a few drops of his blood into the chalice. He bent down to Ariel and looked her in the eyes, trying to look as kind as possible.

"The witch needs a drop of blood for the spell." He said gently, noticing Ariel's eyes momentarily fill with fear. "But it won't hurt, it's just a prick, I promise."

Ariel nodded and held out her finger. Snape gave her hand a comforting squeeze (_Merlin, where did THAT come from?_) and quickly pricked her index finger. She stayed silent as he squeezed a drop into the chalice. The purple liquid was now turning gold.

The witch murmured a few more words in Latin, and then handed the chalice to Snape.

"Drink." She commanded.

Snape took a sip; it tasted absolutely awful, and handed it to Ariel. She looked up at him, and he nodded in approval. She took a very quick sip. McGonagall chuckled from the corner.

A few more words in Latin and the spell was complete. Dumbledore walked over to thank her, and then began escorting her to the door. Ariel was staring at Snape with tears in her eyes. Before he even realized what he was doing, he bent down and put his hands on her shoulders.

"What's wrong?" he asked, not recognizing the concern in his voice. He wasn't going soft _already_, was he?

"You're my daddy now." She whispered, and then launched herself at him. Snape hadn't been hugged in ages, let alone by a small child. He awkwardly wrapped his arms around the girl and lifted her up.

He couldn't understand why she trusted him, or liked him, for that matter. Were all children this trusting? He hadn't been, he'd actual been the opposite. Lily had been his only friend. Ariel barely knew him, and their first encounter hadn't been pleasant. He had nearly hexed her when she stomped on his foot. But oddly enough, he found himself already a little fond of her as well. It was those eyes, there was something about them that he couldn't put his finger on…

McGonagall was smiling at the scene before her. She'd never thought she'd ever see the head of Slytherin house hugging a small child. But on the other hand, this small child and her infant brother had defeated the darkest wizard of all time.

She walked over to the young man and his new ward-no, _daughter_. "Congratulations, Severus." She said, giving a small smile.

He gave a small smirk in return. "Thank you Minerva, I appreciate it." He meant it. It was nice to see that someone besides Dumbledore approved of the adoption. "I think it's time that my ward and I returned home." Snape said, turning to look at Dumbledore.

The old man nodded. "It's been an exciting evening for young Ms. Potter." He said, smiling widely at Ariel.

Ariel giggled and laid her head against Snape's shoulder and closed her eyes. Snape looked down at her. Maybe it was the spell, but he felt something then. _Merlin, I've already gone soft, _Snape thought to himself as he stepped into the fireplace.


	5. Chapter 5

As soon as Snape walked out of the fireplace with Ariel, he regretted leaving so quickly. He was alone with a two year old girl now, and had no clue what to do. He supposed that he should put her to bed, but McGonagall hadn't given him anything for her. No nightclothes, no advice on where to purchase said items.

The brat could sleep in her clothes, couldn't she? At least until tomorrow.

The girl in his arms suddenly began struggling and Snape lowered her onto the couch.  
>Without looking at Ariel, Snape disappeared down the hall to inspect the empty guest room. He would have to decorate the room tomorrow as well. He sighed; it would be a very busy next couple of days. He was already missing his solitude.<p>

Suddenly, he heard something from the other room- springs? He quickly left the room to investigate, and froze at the end of the hallway.

The little brat was jumping on his couch.

Glaring, Snape roughly swung the child off the couch and onto the floor. Ariel seemed surprised by the sudden motion.

Snape didn't care.

"We do _not_ jump on the couch, or any other piece of furniture, for that matter." Snape snapped. He meant business. He house would not become a jungle gym. "Tomorrow, we will go over a detailed list of rules that I will expect you to obey as long as you are under my care, respecting my furniture will be among them. Is that understood?"

Ariel had crossed her arms; there was that glare again. It reminded Snape remarkably of his own.

A moment of silence passed.

Snape, still glaring, turned around.

"Come, it's time for bed."

He walked down the hallway in long strides and entered the guest room. He quickly transfigured the bed into a crib, and turned to address his ward.

She was nowhere to be found.

Snarling under his breath, Snape quickly made his way back into the living room, where the girl was sitting on the floor, with her arms crossed.

_Merlin, give me patience.  
><em>

"Ariel," Snape tried to say in a gentle tone, not succeeding, "It's time for bed."

She looked up and frowned.

"I'm not tired! I want to _read_!"

Snape blinked. _Read_? The brat wanted to _read_? _As in a book_? No, of course she didn't mean a book. Two year olds couldn't read. And Snape certainly wasn't going to read to her. Not with her current attitude. He had nothing suitable for her to read anyway, books on curses and deadly potions were certainly not suitable reading material for a small child. No, the brat was going to bed.

Snape pinched the bridge of his nose. It'd been three bloody minutes and the child was already giving him a headache. Merlin, help him.

"Ms. Potter," he said in his deadliest tone, still pinching his nose, "It has been a very long day for the both of us, so I'd appreciate you're cooperation concerning your bedtime. I will _not_ ask again."

The little girl uncrossed her arms and hung her head. She had made her new dad upset. She hadn't meant to; she just wanted to read. Mummy had always read with her before bed.

"Okay." She said, slowly walking past an incredulous Snape.

The brat had actually listened? He had been expecting more of a fight.

What was he saying? This was James Potter's child. Her cheek would make another appearance.

Snape stood alone in the living room for a moment, and then followed the girl into the bedroom. Ariel's eyes widened at the crib; it wasn't as nice as the one she had at home. The crib itself was made of mahogany, with blue snakes on the quilt and pillows. She was about to ask about the snakes, but stopped herself. She didn't want to make her new dad angrier. Snape quickly lifted the girl into the crib and cleared his throat.

"I'm afraid I don't have any clothes for you to change into tonight. Tomorrow we will go shopping."

Ariel sighed. She had been looking forward to changing out of her clothes and into something comfier. Her dress was itchy.

Suddenly, her new dad was by the door. He muttered a goodnight, and shut off the lights and then the door. He hadn't even bothered to let her use the bathroom. She laid down and began to cry softly. She missed mummy and daddy.

Dumbledore had briefly explained to her what had happened. Her parents were dead; she had witnessed the whole thing.

"_Mummy loves you, dadda loves you."_ Mum had said before the monster had entered the nursery. "_You are so loved. Be safe, darlings, be strong."_

What she didn't understand was _why_ the monster had killed her parents. And attempted to murder her and Harry as well. And she didn't quite understand the man in the other room. Why was he so mean at times? Well actually, all the time. But Ariel felt safe with him, and that's all that really mattered to her at the moment. Although Dumbledore assured her that the monster was gone, she still worried. What if Dumbledore was wrong? What if her new dad was killed because of her?

Thinking about all this, Ariel fell into a fitful sleep.

Snape poured himself a fire whiskey and let himself fall onto the nearest chair. He listened for any noise in the room down the hall. All was quiet. He sighed. Perhaps he had been too hard on the girl. After all, she had just lost her parents. She'd been forced to watch their murder. Snape suddenly felt concerned. Was this normal behavior for a child who had just lost their parents? Shouldn't she be sad, or angry, or unresponsive or _something_? She seemed _too _normal. "_There's a certain… maturity to her, Severus…"_ Dumbledore had said. Is that hat he had meant? That Ariel's seemingly carefree attitude towards her parent's death was a certain kind of _maturity_? He remembered that he and Lily had always been mature for their age, but nothing like this.

_Lily._ His heart clenched painfully again. Why did he keep thinking about her? He needed to move on, to focus on the girl. But how could he? Ariel looked exactly like her, except for those eyes…

He swallowed the rest of his fire whiskey in one gulp. He couldn't raise the girl under the idea that she was Lily. Or James. Merlin knew, people would be telling her that she was just like them for the rest of her life. But the blood adoption had connected them not just emotionally, but genetically and physically. Ariel was now _his_, his blood ran through her veins now. She had a parent again, someone who would see her as just Ariel.

Snape had to be that someone for Ariel. He couldn't keep thinking of Lily every time he looked at her. His heart wouldn't be able to take it. And it wasn't fair to either of them.

Tomorrow, he decided, he would talk to the girl. He didn't exactly know how he would start off a conversation like that. _Good morning Ariel, would you like to talk about any emotional scarring you might have experienced in the past couple of days?_ No, he would need to be patient. She would come around, he was sure of it; she seemed to trust him already anyway. And then they would go shopping. He supposed they should go toy shopping as well, the child would need something to entertain herself when he wasn't available. How much did _should_ he spend with her? She was two, so she could do some things on her own by now. Like the loo. _Merlin, she better be potty trained,_ he thought to himself. That was one thing he absolutely refused to do.

A part of him already found himself caring (he refused to call it that in his mind) for the girl. Snape couldn't help admitting that he almost admired how she stood her ground when he was angry with her. He knew many seventh year Gryffindors that would cower in terror whenever they simply _saw_ Snape. But the girl had simply glared right back at him. He couldn't decide if that was James or Lily. Or maybe himself.

Snape went to bed that night dreaming of an angel with emerald eyes, thanking him.

APHPSSAPHPSS

Snape rose at six o'clock that morning and began preparing breakfast. What did two year olds eat? Bacon, eggs, toast? Or would she want something more sugary? No, that wasn't going to happen. She would be given a balanced diet. Absolutely no sweets.

He finally decided on a kind of Muggle cereal; Cheerios. After pouring a small bowl, he went to wake Ariel.

She was already awake when Snape walked in, and immediately grinned when she saw him. He wordlessly put her on the floor and motioned for her to follow.

He swiftly sat down in his chair and began to eat. Ariel climbed into the chair next to him and gave the cereal a questioning look. Snape watched, waiting for her to object, but instead, she began to eat the cereal. They ate their breakfast quietly until Ariel broke the silence.

"Who killed my parents?"

Snape almost fell out of his chair. He silently cursed Dumbledore. How could he not have explained this to her? Why did he leave it up to him?

But then again, why was Snape her father?

He looked at the small girl next to him. She looked very solemn. How was he supposed to explain someone like You-Know-Who to a child, especially when he had been in his closest circle of followers.

He cleared his throat and told her everything.

He told her about the Muggles, and the muggle-born and pureblood feud, about the Order of the Phoenix, and lastly, about the prophecy.

Her eyes widened at that part.

"So the monster tried to kill Harry and I because we're supposed kill him?" she said. Snape could tell she was trying to be brave, but heard her voice shaking slightly.

"Yes," he said, kneeling down next to her, "But he's gone now. You don't need to worry about him anymore."

"But what if he comes back," she whispered, "What if I get more people killed?"

Snape felt a lump form in his throat. The poor child thought _she _had gotten her parents killed, when the actual culprit stood in front of her. "Ariel," he said softy, pulling her close to him, "I'm going to make something very clear to you right now. You are _not_ in _ANY_ way responsible for your parent's deaths. Once the prophecy was made, there was nothing you or your parents could have done. That _monster_ was set on killing you and anyone in his way. Your parents gave their lives in order to save you, so that you would have a chance to live." He could feel his voice getting tighter. "And that, child, is in no way whatsoever, _your fault._ You can't live thinking that you could have saved your parents if you had died instead. They wouldn't want that, would they?"

"No," Ariel cried, burying herself in Snape's robes. _Finally someone had said she wasn't responsible. FINALLY someone had explained what had actually happened. _

He held her for a long time, wondering if she had actually accepted what he had just told her.

"What was his name?" Ariel asked when she finally pulled away.

Snape hesitated, and then finally spoke.

"Voldemort."


	6. Chapter 6

_Nine years later… _

"…_Be safe, darlings, be strong…" Mummy whispered as the footsteps outside the door became louder. _

"_Please let it be daddy, please let it be daddy." Ariel pleaded silently, holding onto mummy's hand. The footsteps stopped outside the door, and Lily Potter swung Ariel into the crib alongside Harry. Lily then turned towards the door, gripping the bars of the crib behind her. Ariel screamed as the door was blown off its hinges and a skeleton stepped into the room, its red eyes flashing. Lily stayed grounded._

"_Step aside, mudblood whore." Voldemort hissed, looking at the frightened children in the crib. "No!" Lily screamed, "Not my children! Please, take me, but not my children!" Voldemort laughed, and took another step closer. Lily flinched, but didn't move. "The prophecy spoke of two children, not of a woman." He sneered, "Step aside now, and you may live." "No!" she cried, her voice strong, although Ariel could tell she was crying. The monster smiled. "Very well." He hissed, "Avada kedavra!"_

_A bright, neon green light shot out of Voldemort's wand. Lily screamed and fell to the floor, not moving. Ariel could hear herself screaming for mummy to get up. The monster laughed a high pitched, cold laugh and slowly raised his wand at Ariel and Harry. _

"_Avada-"_

A blood curdling scream woke Snape from his slumber. At first he had no idea who or what it was, and then he realized.

Tripping out of bed, he bolted down the hallway to Ariel's room, where she was still screaming. He threw open the door and flipped on the lights. "What is it, what happened, where does it hurt?" he said loudly, frantically looking over the shaking child. He couldn't imagine what she had done to herself while she was sleeping, although her magic was getting stronger. She had undone a powerful ward on the borders around the house just the other day…

"He… he killed her… again…" Ariel choked, clutching at Snape. "He… the green light… all my fault…" she finally broke off, sobbing. Snape finally relaxed for a moment. The girl had just had a nightmare. Then he stiffened; she had dreamt about that night. After nine years of nothing, she had finally remembered. His heart throbbed in his chest. She had to watch her mother die, _again_. Had he heard correctly, had the girl said it was all her fault? He groaned silently, a lump forming in his throat. The girl in his arms was beginning to shake violently. He pulled her closer, and held her tightly, rocking back and forth, shushing her all the while.

After what seemed like hours, her shaking and whimpering had reduced a bit. She cleared her throat and tried squirming away for her dad. "I'm sorry for waking you." She whispered, attempting to get back under the covers. Snape held her tighter to him. "Don't be ridiculous." He murmured. It was silent for a minute. "Do you want to talk about it?" he said quietly, running his hand through her hair, trying to calm the remaining tremors rocking through her small body. She sighed, her breathe hitching in her throat. "Mummy was say-saying goodbye," Ariel could feel the tears welling up again, "And then _he _came through the door an-and told her to move, and she didn't and he- he –he…" the girl began sobbing again. Even though it pained Snape to see her like this, he knew it was better to get this all out now than later. She needed to talk about what she had seen. He began shushing her again, rocking her back and forth. Snape had never seen the girl so upset, so scared. Ariel was a breath of fresh air, a burst of color in Snape's grey world. Although he would never admit that aloud, they both had a mutual understanding of that. They both cared about each other deeply- actually, no. They _loved_ one another, but it wasn't a love shown through hugs and kind words. It was shown through her teasing, of the way she curled up next to him when they read from a charms book, how he gave her a small smile when proudly presented with a potion, when he taught her piano on a cold night, or when her _accio_'d her cloak as she tried to run away. And of course, in moments like this, when he rocked her back and forth, trying to soothe her, wishing he could take the memory from her.

When the sun began to rise, Ariel finally fell back asleep, her hand still tightly holding Snape's shirt. He sighed, and climbed under the covers, holding the tiny girl. He knew he wasn't going to get any more sleep, but he was afraid to leave the girl alone, he had never seen her so upset, and it worried him. Ariel rarely cried. Usually the girl was laughing or teasing Snape about how sarcastic and stone faced he could be. She did have a temper, however, and Snape couldn't help wondering if the blood adoption had something to do with that. But Ariel was extremely well behaved, nothing like James Potter had been when he was a boy; she reminded Snape of Lily, always asking questions, always looking for the answers herself. As much as Snape tried not to think of his daughter as Lily, he sometimes found it very hard not to. Ariel's hair had grown long, and fell to her waist in thick, red, waves. Her skin, no matter how much time she spent in the sun, remained pale, paler than Lily's had been, now that he thought about it. Everything about her face was Lily's, except that her nose was a little longer, and of course, her eyes. Black as night, but always sparkling.

When she wasn't helping Snape with potions, Ariel was exploring the river behind the house. The girl was never still, always climbing and running. Snape had insisted at one point that if she was going to read any of his potions and charms book (he didn't think she was ready for the DADA books), that she read in the house, but nevertheless, he always found her up in a tree, reading a book. Ariel's adventurous nature was set free when school began every September. Even though she begged and pleaded with Dumbledore to let her sit in on some classes, he had always said that it wouldn't be fair that she start her wizarding education before the other children her age. She always pouted at this, causing Dumbledore to laugh and Snape to roll his eyes. So most of Ariel's time at Hogwarts was spent exploring, whether it be the several secret passageways she'd discovered, or visiting Hagrid at his hut. Ariel _adored _Hagrid. She loved listening to his tales of the creatures in the Forbidden Forest, constantly begging him to take her there one day. He would always find an excuse to say no, but Ariel knew why. Snape would kill him, and then her, and then Hagrid again.

Snape and Ariel's relationship throughout the school year was different than how it was during the summer. Ariel knew her dad was the "greasy git", the "bat of the dungeons", the official school bastard. It was a well known fact that he wasn't exactly the nicest when it came to his students. He had explained that he had a reputation to uphold, but she didn't really understand that either. Why would someone want to be known as the definition of a git? But she did heed his wishes and tried to give him his space during the day. They had the nights together, reading and playing piano and talking about the day. She called him "dad" when no one was around, and tried to remember to call him Professor Snape when students were nearby. But tomorrow would be her first day of school at Hogwarts, she'd have to get used to calling him "professor."

Around eight o'clock Ariel finally started stirring. Confused as to what had happened, she opened her eyes and saw her dad looking down at her, concern written all over his face. Then she remembered the nightmare and breathed in sharply. Snape's arms tightened around her. "Are you alright?" he said, not bothering to disguise the obvious worry in his voice. Ariel was quiet for a moment, and then sighed. "Yeah," she mumbled, "I'm fine. That just… it wasn't… y'know." "Indeed." Snape sighed, and lifted Ariel off him so he could look at her better. She looked tired, and her eyes were red. Her nightgown still felt wet from her tears, as did his shirt. He slowly got off the bed and went to draw a bathe for her. Ariel obediently went to grab a change of clothes, and silently went into the bathroom. Snape left her to herself and made his way into the kitchen and began making breakfast. _This is not how I wanted her first day of term to start off_ he thought.

APHPSSAPHPSSAPHPSS

Ariel laid in the hot water longer than she knew she should, but she really needed time to herself. She had little bits of pieces of the night her parents died, but nothing that _that._ Voldemort had never spoken to her, and she had never remembered Harry there…

_Harry._

Her throat tightened. Even though she barely remembered Harry, she couldn't help missing him. She wanted to see her brother so badly. Every time she asked her dad, he would say it wasn't safe, that he needed to stay hidden. She never understood why it "wasn't safe", Voldemort was gone, and the remaining Death Eaters were dead or in Azkaban. She and Harry had nothing to worry about.

So why was this feeling of dread still lingering?

She sighed and heaved herself out of the bathtub. She slowly dressed into her Muggle clothes for the train ride to Hogwarts. She hated Muggle clothes, she never felt right in them. These jeans were extremely uncomfortable, although the green sweater looked nice. It brought out the specks of gold in her dark eyes. Snape was sitting at the table, seemingly deep in the thought. His head snapped up when he saw Ariel, and poured her a large glass of milk. Ariel frowned.

"Do you think I could have coffee this morning?" she asked, rubbing her eyes. Snape pursed his lips, trying not to snort. "One bad night's sleep and you want caffeine?" he asked, although it sounded more that a statement to Ariel. She gave a little laugh, music to Snape's ears. "Well yeah, although I don't think I'd want it as dark as yours." She wrinkled her nose. Other adults put milk and sugar in their coffee, while Snape put nothing. McGonagall had always teased him about that. Snape gave a small smirk and poured a cup for Ariel, summoning over milk and sugar, much to Ariel's relief. "Not too much." he warned, as she began scooping the sugar into the cup. She rolled her eyes and took a sip. Snape tried not to laugh at the face she made.

"How do you _drink_ this?" she spluttered, walking over to the sink to spit the vile liquid out.

"To each his own." He said, giving Ariel a smirk when she turned around to roll her eyes at him again. "But you did just waste a perfectly good cup of coffee. I'll expect an essay on the uses of caffeine by the end of the week."

Ariel whirled back around and shot him an incredulous look. Snape looked rather amused. "Very funny, professor." Ariel laughed, sliding back into her seat. "Professor indeed." Snape mused, "I expect we don't have to go over the rules of how you are to behave while you are in my classroom- or anywhere at Hogwarts, for that matter?"

Ariel rolled her eyes; she seemed to be that a lot this morning. She could tell her dad was trying to cheer her up. "Of course not, Professor Dad." Ariel smiled mischievously, "I'll try not to wreak havoc."

"Have you given any thought as to what house you'd like to be sorted into?"

Ariel felt her stomach drop. She'd been dreading this question. She knew all too well the feud between the Gryffindor and Slytherin houses. Well actually, all the houses versus Slytherin. She knew not all Slytherins were bad, but she really, _really_ wanted to be Gryffindor. Both her parents had been Gryffindor, and even though Snape was her dad too, she couldn't help but cringe at the thought of being placed with Slytherins. And her dad was bound to not be happy about that.

"Um." Ariel said, suddenly very interested in her toast, "I mean, it doesn't really matter to me, as long as it's not like, I don't know, Hufflepuff." She made a face.

It was obvious the girl didn't want to talk about it. Snape wanted to ask why, but bit his tongue. She already had a rough night; he didn't want to push her. He gave Ariel what he hoped was a supportive look. Merlin knew he wouldn't be able to give her many of those once school started.

"Come." He said, standing up, "It's time we began getting ready to depart." He walked away, his robes billowing dramatically. _Bat indeed_, she thought, smiling to herself.


	7. Chapter 7

"Have you got everything?" Snape asked for the eighth time.

Ariel nodded her head and smiled up at her dad. The train whistled frantically again. It was time to go. After years of waiting, she was finally going to Hogwarts as a student.

When she was younger, Ariel hadn't known there was a Hogwarts Express, she had always figured that everyone just simply apparated to school. She figured it out when she overheard a first year Slytherin complaining about how he had left his luggage on the train, and felt a little embarrassed. It was almost funny to her now, imagining a bunch of students just apparating to Hogwarts. Apparition wasn't even taught until seventh year. In years past, Ariel had flooed to Hogwarts with Snape, and had been under the impression they would do so this year as well, but Snape had insisted she take the train. A part of Ariel thought he was trying to give her the "normal childhood" that he wanted for her, but she couldn't help feeling nervous about how the other students would react to her. Although she'd never let Snape know that.

She wrapped her arms tightly around her dad, and he kneeled down to hug her back. "Just remember, whatever house you're placed in, I'll be proud." He murmured. It was true, whether she be placed in Gryffindor or Slytherin, Ravenclaw or_, Hufflepuff_, he promised himself he'd be proud of her.

Ariel nodded at him again, pulled him to her tightly, then broke away and ran onto the train. Snape stood up and watched as the train carried his daughter away. A man and a woman next to him dressed in Muggle clothes blew their noses into handkerchiefs and tearfully waved at the train. _Spineless idiots_, Snape thought, rolling his eyes.

APHPSSAPHPSSAPHPSSAPHPSS

On the train, Ariel was scrambling to find a compartment with a seat. After searching for what seemed to her like ages, she finally spotted one with two red headed boys. As she got closer, she realized that they were identical twins. She slowly opened the compartment door and gave a small smile as the boys spun around to see who it was.

"Hi," she said, "There are no more seats. Do you mind if I sit with you?"

"No problem!" the two boys said simultaneously.

Her smile widened and she took a seat across from them. "My name's Ariel, Ariel Potter." She held her breath and prayed they didn't ask her about You-Know-Who. It was understandable that people would be curious, but she really wished that some people would "hold their tongues", as Snape had put it.

"Blimey!" the first boy cried, "You're bloody-"

"Famous!" the other finished.

"What an honor!" they stated together, bowing mockingly at her.

She rolled her eyes and giggled.

"I'm Fred Weasley, and this is George," the first boy said, motioning to the other. Ariel nodded, and wondered how the heck she was gonna remember that. The boys looked exactly alike.

The names sounded vaguely familiar. She suddenly remembered her father raving about their antics during his class, they were only first years, but were already known as the school comics. They had apparently set firecrackers off during his class one day, in retaliation for Snape taking away House points for an incorrect answer. _Wouldn't dad love to know my first friends are the Weasley twins, _Ariel thought to herself.

"It's nice to meet you," she said, "I'm a big fan of your work."

The twin's eyes widened. "Did ya hear that George? She thinks we're brilliant!"

"Nice to finally hear someone say it."

"No one else likes your pranks?" Ariel asked, confused. The Slytherins thought they were bloody morons, but she always heard the Gryffindors ranting about how great they were.

"Well, most of our House does. It's just that after a whole summer of Mum being after us about our stunts, it's nice to know we have a reason to start again." George, was it George?, grinned.

Ariel laughed again, she really liked the boys. They were funny, and hadn't immediately asked about her past.

"So is Snape as bad a parent as a teacher?" Fred asked, twirling his wand in his hand.

Maybe she had spoken too soon. "Snape's a great parent," Ariel crossed her arms, and tried to sound casual instead of offended, "And from what I've heard, he's a great teacher as well."

Fred ignored the last part. "So he doesn't like, I dunno, lock you in his basement or feed you flubberworms?" he grinned mischievously.

"He can be a git to students, I admit, but he's not sadistic." Ariel snorted.

"He wants you in Slytherin?" Fred had stopped twirling his wand.

Why did this bloody question keep coming up? "He wants me wherever the hat places me."

"Where do _you_ wanna be placed?"

Before Ariel had a chance to answer, the trolley had arrived outside their door. She suddenly realized she was actually really hungry, and bought three boxes of chocolate frogs. Snape had specifically told her not to buy candy on the train, but she didn't care.

The rest of the train ride was spent with Fred and George informing Ariel of what to expect for her first year.

"McGonagall is brilliant, but tough. You can't slip anything past her. She notices _everything_. Right Fred?" George asked, elbowing his brother.

"Damn right," he laughed, "We tried slipping a couple of dungbombs in her class once, and before they could hit the floor, she'd transfigured them into teacups!"

By the time the train pulled into Hogsmeade, Ariel's cheeks were stained with tears from laughter. She couldn't believe all they got away with at Hogwarts.

They quickly gathered their things, and were the first ones off the train. Walking with Fred and George, Ariel saw Hagrid up ahead and waved. "Hi, Hagrid!"

"Ello' El!" she smiled at his nickname for her, "Ave' a nice trip?"

She nodded and looked at Fred and George, who grinned in response. Hagrid chuckled. Ariel thought she heard him mumble "Snape's gon ave' a lot to say bout that."

Hagrid turned his attention to the mass of students piling off the train. "All first years, follow me!" he yelled, waving his lantern.

"We'll see you at the feast, we'll keep our fingers crossed that you're Gryffindor!" George yelled as he began follow the older kids to the castle. She waved back, and went to go stand next to Hagrid.

A line of excited first years began following Hagrid towards the boats, and Ariel sighed. She wished Fred and George had been in her age group. She hadn't met any first years on the train, and felt a bit awkward climbing into a boat of complete strangers. The boat ride was enjoyable however; it was a clear night and the moon shone brightly overhead. Ariel's stomach began to twist in knots as they approached the castle. She couldn't figure out why she was so nervous.

Professor McGonagall met them in the main hall. "Good evening!" she called, giving the group an approving look. "In a moment, you be led into the Great Hall sorted into your houses. They will act as your family during your stay here. The houses are Gryffindor, for which I am head of house, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw; you will be sorted based on your traits. You will meet your head of houses later tonight." She cleared her throat and glanced at Ariel, who gave a small smile. Professor McGonagall gave her a nod.

"Now, wait here for a moment and I will inform the Headmaster of your arrival so that we may begin the ceremony."

And with that she quickly turned and went into the Great Hall, closing the heavy doors behind her. The first years immediately began talking amongst themselves. Ariel shifted all her weight the one side and tried not to think about the ceremony. _You'll just upset yourself even more if you keep-_

"Aren't you Ariel Potter?"

Ariel whirled around to see a girl, about her height, with pin straight brown hair giving her a curious look.

Oh, _great_. "Yeah, I guess I am." Ariel sighed. _Here we go. _

The other kids began talking in excited whispers.

"_My dad told me all about her and her brother, apparently-"_

"… _heard one of the professors-"_

"_You-Know-Who just completely-"_

To Ariel's relief, the doors swung open, and Professor McGonagall motioned for the students to follow her. Ariel quickly melted into the middle of the small crowd, hoping she'd go unnoticed.

As she entered the Great Hall, she couldn't help staring up at the ceiling; she'd never get over how incredible it was. Tonight, the ceiling was a perfectly clear sky, with thousands of brightly lit stars. She gave a quick look at the staff table, looking for Snape. He was in his usual spot, at the very end, looking rather bored. She felt a little relief; maybe the sorting really didn't matter to him. Glancing over at the Gryffindor table, Fred and George winked at her and she gave them a small smirk.

She jumped when the Hat began singing, patiently waited until it was done, and clapped quietly. Her stomach was really starting to hurt now. McGonagall unrolled a large piece of parchment and cleared her throat.

"Gwendolyn Kingsley!"

Gwendolyn, a smaller girl with thick, dirty blonde curls, walked quickly up to the chair and sat down. The hat hadn't even touched her head before he yelled "Gryffindor!"

The Gryffindor table roared, and Gwendolyn quickly sprinted to her new house to be greeted by her classmates.

"Lawrence-"

The next several names were a blur to Ariel, until the moment she'd been dreading finally arrived.

"Ariel Potter!"

She felt like she'd swallowed a ton of rocks as she slowly approached the chair. She could see Dumbledore lean up in his chair, and caught a quick glance of Snape giving her a nod. Taking a deep breath, she sat down, and McGonagall placed the hat upon her head.

"Ah, now, where to put you," the hat mused, "Many fine traits here for Gryffindor, many indeed, but you'd flourish in Slytherin. Hm, what to do..."

"Please not Slytherin" Ariel heard herself whisper.

"Not Slytherin, eh? Well, better put you in _GRYFFINDOR!" _

The Gryffindor table went absolutely ballistic, and McGonagall gave her a proud look. Ariel grinned back, and quickly ran over to Fred and George.

"I knew you'd be Gryffindor!" George crowed, pulling her into the spot next to him.

Several Gryffindors came over a patted Ariel on the back and welcomed her. The knot in her stomach was gone; she knew she'd made the right decision.

She looked at Snape, who was staring at her, his face unreadable.

APHPSSAPHPSSAPHPSSAPHPSS

As the Gryffindor table burst into hysterics, Snape couldn't help but grimace. He was about to roll his eyes at Dumbledore, who was smiling so wide that he was sure the old coot would split himself in half, but stopped himself. The girl looked so happy, so relieved to be surrounded by the Gryffindors. Snape sighed and leaned back in his chair. Was he disappointed that Ariel hadn't been placed in Slytherin? Yes. Even though he'd promised her he wouldn't, he couldn't help feeling that he'd failed in some way. He'd raised her, had taught her that not everyone placed in Slytherin was destined to be some evil wizard, to work hard and be, well, ambitious, which is what Slytherin should have been known for. It wasn't their fault that the most powerful dark wizard of all time had been placed in Slytherin. Not to mention that he would be a source of mockery for the students. He, head of Slytherin, had raised the Girl-Who-Lived to be a Gryffindor. He had seen Minerva's smug face when the hat had made its choice. He would never live that down.

Watching Ariel sit next to George Weasley, Snape heard himself groan. Of all the idiot Gryffindors to become friends with, it had to be the _Weasleys_? He began to think of a way to convince her to keep her distance when the next name was called.

"Damon Malfoy!"

Snape's head shot up, and gave a quick glance to the boy approaching the hat.

A tall, skinny boy calmly walked to the front of the crowd. He had dark hair and pale skin, and wore a look of boredom. Snape found himself staring intently at the boy as the hat was placed onto his head.

"Slytherin!" the hat called, and Snape gave an approving nod as the boy past by him. He glanced over at the Gryffindor table and saw Ariel looking at him, her face clouded with worry. He quickly glanced away, not wanting to draw attention to himself.

The feast ended as quickly as it started, much to Snape's relief. Even though the rest of the evening went without any further events, he could barely wait to retreat to the dungeons. As the prefects began directing the younger students to their houses, Snape quickly made his escape. Although he wanted to be alone for the night, he hoped Ariel would come down and see him before curfew.

As he made his way to the Slytherin dormitories, he wondered if Ariel would stay in his quarters as she always had, or in Gryffindor tower. She was a student now; McGonagall would expect her to stay with her house.

A hush fell over the Slytherins as Snape quickly opened to door to the dormitories. He smiled to himself as the first years exchanged nervous glances.

"Welcome, to our first years, and congratulations on being placed into Slytherin…"

APHPSSAPHPSSAPHPSSAPHPSSAPHPSS

Ariel had barely heard McGonagall's head of house speech, she was too distracted. She really wanted to go and see her dad. It'd be a long day, and she wanted to tell him all about it. Finally, McGonagall finished and prefects began directing the other first years to their rooms. Ariel sprinted over to her new head of house. "Professor McGonagall!"

Turning from the door, the professor gave Ariel a small smile. "Hello, Ms. Potter. Is there something you need?"

"Yes ma'am. I was wondering if I would still be able to spend the night in my father's quarters, even though I'm a Gryffindor now." She had said the last part with a hint of pride. McGonagall noticed and smirked to herself. She and Snape were definitely going to have a chat about _this_.

"Is this just for tonight, or are you planning on staying in Professor Snape's private quarters for the school year?"

"Well…" Ariel actually hadn't thought about this. "Couldn't I stay at the dormitories _and _my father's quarters? I'll obviously let you know where I am prior to curfew."

Professor McGonagall raised an eyebrow and pursed her lips. After a moment she sighed.

"Very well, Ms. Potter. But you must _always_ alert me to where you are prior to curfew. If you fail to inform me, I'm afraid I will have to confine your sleeping quarters to Gryffindor tower. Is that understood?"

Ariel nodded. "Yes Professor, thank you."

McGonagall gave a small nod and quickly hurried out of the room.

"Oi, Ariel!" a familiar voiced yelled. Ariel turned to see Fred and George making their way towards her.

"So, whaddaya think?" George said, gesturing to the common room. "Great, isn't it?"

"It's brilliant." Ariel agreed, finally taking a step back and looked at the room around her. The common room had such a cozy, welcoming feeling to it. She could already see herself by the fire, doing homework on a cold, winter night.

"Have you seen your dorm yet? If you want, we can talk to Todd, he's a prefect, and make sure you get a bed by a window." Fred offered.

Ariel shook her head. "I haven't seen them yet; I was planning on spending the night in my room in my dad- I mean Professor Snape's quarters. But thanks."

"You better get going then." George said, playfully pushing her to the door. "Curfews in ten minutes!"

"We'll see you tomorrow!" Fred said, making his way to his dorm. Ariel waved and made her way down to the dungeons. Snape's quarters were behind a large painting of a tall, handsome man proudly standing on a large rock, while a man was hanging with a noose around his neck from a large sycamore tree in the background. Ariel hated the painted and had asked Snape to take it down when she was younger, but he insisted it stay up. She glared at the canvas and whispered "_liliorum florem_". The door swung open, and Ariel stepped inside.

Many students insisted that Snape was some vampire, who probably had nothing but chains and skeletons in his quarters. Ariel laughed to herself as she took in the familiar room around her. Two large, green sofas sat in front of a roaring stone fireplace. Across from that was Snape's study, which was a large, mahogany desk, surrounded by dozens of bookcases, overflowing with literature ranging from the most evil of dark arts to simple hexes. Behind his study was his bedroom, with his own bathroom. Across from his room was Ariel's. She had insisted it be painted a royal blue, and Snape had transfigured a carpet, worrying that it was too cold for her, even though Snape's quarters were much warmer than the rest of the dungeons. She had a large bed, a desk, a vanity, and a wardrobe, along with the rest of her personal belongings. Her dad's quarters at Hogwarts were her favorite place to be.

Snape almost looked surprised when Ariel walked in. Wondering how she had gotten past McGonagall, he raised an amused eyebrow. He could practically hear her snarling about how he had already stolen her precious Golden Girl the first night.

"Hi." Ariel said, grinning, taking a seat in front of her dad's desk. She couldn't understand why she had been so nervous earlier. Her house was great, brilliant even, better than she had expected. And Snape didn't look disappointed or angry. Her smile widened when he gave a small smirk back.

"Good evening." He said, leaning back in his chair. "I take it you snuck out tonight?"

Ariel laughed, "No, I actually asked permission. I've decided not to break any school rules until the first week is over."

"McGonagall agreed to let you come here?" Snape was shocked.

"Actually, she gave me permission to stay here _or _Gryffindor Tower as long as I let her know where I am before curfew."

"Hm." Curious indeed.

"What?" Ariel asked, trying to sound casual, but growing a little anxious at his tone. Was she wrong to assume he'd still want her stay with him as a student? I mean, he was her teacher now…

"Nothing, just something I'll have to ask Professor McGonagall about." He wasn't about to have her hold this over his head in exchange for something house related. No bloody way was Slytherin was going to _owe_ Gryffindor.

"Are you sure it doesn't have to do with the fact that I was sorted into Gryffindor?" Ariel asked quietly.

_I knew it. _Snape thought to himself. This morning, when she had avoided talking about the houses, he'd seen it; the fear that he'd reject her for being in any house but Slytherin. He sighed and leaned forward, looking Ariel in the eye.

"Ariel, although I wish you had been sorted into my house, I'm very proud of you for being placed in Gryffindor. You being placed in a different house doesn't change anything about us personally. Although I will be your professor, I'm still your father first." He said softly. Snape had never mentioned his dislike for Gryffindor around Ariel as a child, especially after Dumbledore had informed her that both her parents had been Gryffindors. And he most certainly wouldn't mention it now, no matter how much he couldn't stand them at times. After arriving in his quarters, he had been trying to figure out if he was disappointed in the hat's decision or not, and he had finally come to the conclusion that he was. He wasn't necessarily disappointed in _her_, but he was disappointed in the fact that she hadn't been placed in his house. Snape knew he'd always be proud of her, she was absolutely brilliant.

Suddenly, Ariel was on the other side of the desk, wrapping her arms around him.

"Thank you." She whispered.

Snape couldn't bring himself to say anything. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her back tightly. When she pulled away several moments later, he remembered the bottle of Dreamless Sleep he had planned to bring up to her dormitories.

He grabbed the bottle and handed it to her. "Here," he said gently, "I don't want you up half the night again, especially the night before you're first day of classes."

Ariel silently took the bottle and nodded. She yawned and Snape stood up.

"I think it's time we both went to bed. It's already thirty minutes past curfew."

The full impact of the day didn't hit Ariel until she lay down in bed. The events of the day had taken a toll, and she immediately fell asleep. Snape stood in the doorway and smirked as her shut off the lights.

"_Gryffindors…"_


	8. Chapter 8

Uncle Vernon's hand came down on the cupboard door earlier than usual this morning.

"LET'S GO, BOY. GET UP."

Harry jumped and quickly threw on his clothes. He was pretty sure that this particular shirt hadn't been washed in weeks, but he didn't want to risk keeping Uncle Vernon waiting. His uncle already seemed to be in a fouler mood than usual. As he past the mirror in the hallway, he stopped for a moment to look at his reflection. A small, skinny boy of ten stared back at him. Messy, black hair covered his head, while his bright, emerald green eyes stared blankly back at him. The only interesting thing about him, in Harry's opinion, was his lightning shaped scar on his forehead. Tracing his fingers over it, he wondered if that was all that was truly "special" thing about him.

"_WHERE IS THAT DAMNED BOY"_ Uncle Vernon roared from the other room. Harry quickly walked into the kitchen and began grabbing ingredients for pancakes.

"It's about time!" his Aunt Petunia sniffed, sitting down next to her husband. Uncle Vernon began muttering to himself about how ungrateful the little brat was.

After breakfast, Petunia allowed Harry to have a single pancake and a glass of water, and then gave him a list of chores. Most of it was yard work, and Harry groaned silently. The last time he had done yard work, he'd only been able to get half of it done. Uncle Vernon had gotten so angry that he'd used the belt that night. Harry shuddered, and quickly bolted outside. He was going to get the work done this time.

As he began weeding Aunt Petunia's beloved roses, he noticed a small garden snake slithering through the grass towards him. Watching the reptile darting around, he found himself a little jealous. He wished he could be free to do what he wanted without fearing his uncle's hand. There had to be more to his life than this. This couldn't be all he had to live for. His "family" was constantly reminding him that he came from scum, and that made him scum, and people like that should be treated differently, that he hadn't anything to live for. Harry refused to believe it.

Harry didn't remember anything about his parents, or his sister. Aunt Petunia had told him that they had all died in car accident. She called his father a "drunk" and her mother "a blind idiot", but never mentioned Ariel. What was it like to have a sibling? He'd seen what it was like to have a parent from the way that his aunt and uncle treated Dudley, showering him with love and presents and compliments. But what about a sibling? Dudley had never been much of a brother, or cousin for that matter. All he did was break Harry's things, or Harry himself.

The garden snake was now lying beside Harry, who let out a loud sigh. "Hi there." He muttered to the snake, and leaned over to pull another weed.

"_Well hello there."_

Harry whirled around, looking for who had just spoken, but saw no one. He stood up.

"_Careful, don't ssssstep on me."_

Looking down, he glanced at the snake. It was still there, looking up at him. Harry hesitantly leaned down. "Was that you?"

"_Indeed_."

Harry gaped. A snake was _talking _to him? Maybe he was a freak after all. "How is this possible?"

"_Only sssome people can ssspeak to usss, although you're the firssst in a long time."_

"And why's that?"

"_It'sss a rare gift. Only ssspecial wizards can ssspeak to ssserpents."_

Harry's jaw dropped. Did the snake just say _wizard_? As in _magic_? Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia had banned that word, if they ever heard Harry using that word, he'd be dead. No, worse than dead. He definitely wasn't a wizard. He couldn't be.

Harry shook his head. "I can't be a wizard. Magic isn't real. I'm just a freak."

"_Sssuit yourself. Don't believe me._" The snake began slithering away.

"Wait!" Harry called standing up. "Why do you think-"

"_BOY"_

Harry whirled around and gulped. He had barely done anything since he'd come outside. Uncle Vernon was going to be furious.

Purple in the face, sure enough, Uncle Vernon came barreling outside. Looking down at the roses, he let out a growl. _"Didn't I tell you I wanted these done?!"_

"Ye- yes sir." Harry stammered, taking a step back.

"_What the bloody hell where you doing? Who were you talking to_?"

"No one, sir."

"DON'T LIE TO ME, BOY."

"It-it was the snake."

Uncle Vernon froze and stared at the boy, a look of rage creeping onto his face. _"What did you just say?"_ he whispered, daring Harry to repeat what he had just said.

"A-a-a snake, sir. He talked to me-"_Stupid, stupid, STUPID. Why would you tell him that?_

Uncle Vernon's hands were around Harry's neck before he could blink. He cried out in surprise.

"I'm sorry sir, please, I'll finish the flower beds!" Harry choked.

But Uncle Vernon for once, ignored his pleas without striking him, and threw the boy into the dreaded cupboard.

APHPSSAPHPSSAPHPSSAPHPSS

"Miss Potter!" Ariel's head snapped up, and was met with McGonagall's glare. She had fallen asleep in class, _again. _

"I'm sorry ma'am." Ariel hung her head. She _was_ sorry, this was the fourth time this had happened this past week, and probably the twentieth time this school year. It was already October, and Ariel was known for falling asleep in almost every class, although she was never assigned detention. Snape had seen to that even though Ariel had never asked, but it seemed that McGonagall wasn't going to let her get away with it this time.

Ariel's nightmares had been getting worse and worse lately. Snape was only able to give her Dreamless Sleep twice a week; too much of the potion would cause nasty side effects. Every night she woke up screaming, and Snape had to lull her back to sleep, which usually took hours. The worst was the one of Voldemort killing her mother, but new ones had begun to plague her.

She was seeing Harry being hit by a large man, screaming and crying in pain. There was nothing Ariel could do, she was always frozen and forced to watch as the man beat her little brother. She never told Snape about those, but was beginning to worry. Who was this man? Why was he beating her brother so savagely?

While she'd been sleeping in class that day, she dreamed that Harry was gardening, when the large man had begun yelling at him, and then thrown him into the cupboard. The cupboard always appeared in these dreams; Harry begged to be let out when he was thrown in as punishment. His tone had made Ariel sick to her stomach

"I can't allow this to continue, Miss. Potter." McGonagall's voice tore Ariel from her thoughts. "This has been going on for too long. I'm afraid I'm going to have to confine you to Gryffindor tower at bedtime until you can stop yourself from falling asleep in class."

Ariel's eyes widened. "Please Professor, I'm sorry. I promise it won't happen again. I just-"

McGonagall held up her hand and sighed. "This cannot go on Ariel. I'm sorry, but I need to make sure you are receiving an efficient amount of sleep, something Professor Snape has obviously not been attending to-"

"No Professor, it's not his fault. Please don't blame him." Ariel pleaded. "It's my fault; I've been leaving all my homework until the last minute, so I've been staying up late." McGonagall's stern silenced her. There was no point in arguing.

"Yes ma'am." She muttered. McGonagall sighed before returning to the front of the room.

She had plans to meet Fred and George for lunch over by the lake. It was almost two months into the school year, and she had yet to make any friends within her own year. She guessed she should be embarrassed about that, but she didn't care. Fred and George were enough.

"Hey guys." She said, trying to sound cheerful.

They weren't buying it. "We heard you fell asleep in class again." Fred said, giving her a concerned look.

Ariel sighed. Maybe this is why no one in her year wanted to be her friend; because she was the class snoozer.

Not that this affected her grades. Her marks were perfect, or close to perfect, especially in potions. Snape had seen to it that Ariel learned first year potions when she was around five or six. She already knew many seventh year potions that some students would never be able to make correctly.

"Brilliant, the whole school knows." she muttered darkly, sitting down and closing her eyes. She wasn't tired at the moment, and the breeze felt good on her skin. George poked in the ribs.

"C'mon mate, what's going on? Why do you keep conking out in the middle of class?"

She gave George a look and bit her lip. Should she tell them about her nightmares? Would they understand? In the short time she'd known them, they'd never asked about the night her parents died, or Voldemort, or her scar for that matter. They seemed more interested in Snape being her parent than anything else.

"So, the day before school started, I had nightmare about the night Voldemort," the twins flinched at the name, "killed my parents. And it's been happening every night, and I don't know why. It keeps me up the whole night."

"So why don't you just tell McGonagall that? I'm sure she'd understand-"

"It wouldn't make a difference. I'd still be falling asleep in class. The problem wouldn't be solved." Ariel interrupted.

"But that's not fair, you can't help-"

"I know, I know. But I'd rather not tell her. I don't want her thinking that I'm some 'special case' or something."

Fred and George frowned, but didn't argue any further. They ate lunch silently, and headed back to the castle.

"We'll see you later, we have a brilliant prank we owe the Slytherins for getting us points taken away in potions." Fred whispered. Ariel laughed, and watched as the two boys made their way to the dungeons. She was sure she'd hear all about it later that night from her dad.

She made her way to the library to study for her charms test the next day. As she sat down, she noticed a familiar figure across the library. Damon Malfoy was staring at her intently, with an odd look on his face. Snape had told Ariel about the Malfoys before she began her first year, and from what little she'd been able to discover, Lucius Malfoy was a Death Eater who would love nothing more than to make her life miserable. She'd been warned to steer clear of him should he ever make an appearance at school and to most definitely stay away from his nephew, Damon. Son of Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange, even the Slytherins seemed wary of him. The boy usually sat alone at meals, and barely spoke in class, although most of his answers seemed to be twisted into sarcastic remarks. The teachers steered clear as much as the students did.

Half amused, half confident, he made his way over to Ariel's table. Giving him what she hoped was a cold glare, she opened her book and ignored him.

_Crack._ A potions textbook hit the table, earning them both a look from a table of Ravenclaws. Ariel closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Why was he bothering her?

"Can I help you?" she said through gritted teeth. She refused to look up at him.

"Actually, you can." He slid into the chair across from her. "Potions. I need help."

"Can't, I'm busy."

Suddenly, her charms textbook was floating ten feet in the air, away from them. Grinding her teeth, she took a deep breath. "Malfoy, I'm not going to help you with your bloody potions. I don't know you, and I don't want to know you. Give me my textbook back."

She finally looked up to glare, but was taken aback when she saw that Damon was smiling. Warily, she reached for her wand and pointed it at him.

"You're not gonna hex me, Potter."

"Oh yeah?" she raised an eyebrow, "And why not?"

"Because Golden Girls don't hex poor, defenseless orphans." He made a whining face. Ariel snorted.

"You're parents aren't dead, they're rotting in Azkaban."

"Might as well be dead, bloody idiots."

"You- you think your parents are wrong?" Ariel was taken aback. She wasn't expecting _THAT_…

She steadily looked into his pale, blue eyes and saw nothing but a glint of amusement and… hopefulness? Sighing, she lowered her wand.

"Why do you want my help of all people, Damon?"

He looked up and began to swish his wand, causing the charms textbook so spin around in circles. "Because you're kinda a genius when it comes to potions, seeing as your father is the potions _master."_

Ariel rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I had gotten that much. But what makes you think I'd ever say yes to helping you?"

"Because you're the Golden Girl." He winked.

"_Stop calling me that_." Ariel snarled.

"Tutor me in potions."

"_No_."

"It's part of your _chosen one_ obligations-"

"My _what_?"

"Chosen one obligations. It's your job to help those in need-"

"Obligations my arse. And I would hardly call _you _an obligation-"

"Oh come on, don't you want to show off your brilliant potion making talents anyway?" he teased, flashing a brilliant smile at Ariel.

She wasn't buying any of it. "_No, _I _don't_, Damon. Now give me back my book before I hex you into tomorrow."

He looked like he was deciding if she was kidding or not, and finally sighed. He began to lower the book, to Ariel's surprise, but at the last second, thrust the textbook into the center of the Ravenclaw study group. One of the girls screamed and fell backwards out of her chair, while the rest of the group send a shocked look over at Ariel, and scowled.

She whirled around to glare at Damon, but he was gone.

APHPSSAPHPSSAPHPSSAPHPSSAPHPSS

Damon's actions had thoroughly confused Ariel. _He thought his parents were right where they belonged, in Azkaban? _He was nothing like she'd expected him to be. Aside from the teasing, he'd been well, _nice, _in an obnoxious kind of way. Well, except for the whole book thing. She'd get back at him for that.

Ariel made her way down to the dungeons and wondered how he was going to explain to Snape that she couldn't stay in his quarters for a while without starting a full blown war between him and McGonagall. She finally decided she was going to just leave McGonagall out all together and say she wanted to try sleeping in the tower. Now that she thought about it, she actually hadn't slept in the tower so far this year. Maybe all she needed was a change of scenery to get rid of the nightmares. It was a weak excuse, but it was all she had.

Walking into her father's quarters, she found Snape rubbing his temple. She suddenly remembered the twin's prank and tried not to laugh. "Rough day?" she asked, hopping into her usual spot.

He opened his eyes, but kept massaging his head. "Unbearable."

She gave him a sympathetic look, and glanced down at his desk. He was in the middle of grading potions essays for her class. Seeing her paper already graded, Ariel snatched it and began reading his comments.

"'_Be more specific.'_ How much more specific could I have been? I wrote down the number of times you should dice the frog legs, for Merlin's sake!"

Snape rolled his eyes and began organizing the rest of the papers. "You could have described the texture you should be looking for, or the color the potion should turn after waiting the designated time."

Ariel scoffed and turned the paper over. She had gotten an _A_, and by the looks of it, the rest of the class hadn't done as well as she had. Seeing Damon's name at the bottom of the pile, she wondered if he had done as badly as the others.

"How did Damon Malfoy do?" she said, pretending to still look over her paper.

When he didn't answer for a moment, she looked up. He was staring at her uncertainly, like he didn't know how to answer the question. "He did… satisfactory." He finally said.

_Then why did he say he needed my help if he's doing just fine?_ Ariel was baffled. Why her? Why potions? What was Damon Malfoy trying to get at?

"Is there a reason for you inquiring about his grade?" Snape asked, raising an eyebrow.

She shook her head. "Just wondering, he doesn't say much in classes. I think everyone knows by now what kinda students everyone is, except for him."

Snape was looking at her like he thought the actual answer was written somewhere on her face. "Have you ever spoken to him?"

"No, why?"

"So the story that he threw your charms textbook into a table of Ravenclaws is rubbish?"

_How the bloody hell-_

The look on Ariel's face must have been priceless, because Snape smirked for a moment.

"How did you know about that?"

"I have my sources."

"What? Are your Slytherins spying for you now?" she snapped.

Snape glared. "I don't appreciate the cheek, Miss. Potter. And I'm especially disappointed in the fact that you just lied to me."

"Why are you worried about me talking to Damon Malfoy?"

"I told you in the beginning of the year to stay away from him and his father, should he grace the school with his presence."

"I couldn't help it, dad, he sat down and started talking to me-"

"Are you immobile? Did your legs suddenly cease to function?"

"No, but-"

"But nothing. You should have left the instant he seated himself at the table."

Ariel gritted her teeth. She knew she wasn't going to win this one, not in the mood her father was in at the moment. Snape was glaring at her coldly.

"I want five hundred lines of 'I will not disobey', due two days from now."

It took everything Ariel had not to explode. "Yes, sir."

It was quiet for a moment before Ariel stood up. "I should go. Curfew's soon."

"Do you really think not spending the night here is going to change my mind about the punishment?" Snape said softly.

Ariel blinked. Well, this part had worked out in her favor. She'd expected him to ask why she was spending tonight in Gryffindor tower, not assume something else. At least she wouldn't have to argue with him about her sleeping arrangements. Wordlessly, she stood up and walked out of the room, slamming the door dramatically behind her. If it took Snape thinking she was furious with him, which she was at the moment, then so be it.

As she got ready for bed that evening, several of her classmates it seemed, couldn't help staring at her. She sighed loudly and they quickly looked away. Where were Fred and George when she needed them?

Scanning the room for an unoccupied bed, she finally found one at the far end of the room, next to the fireplace. Quickly diving under the covers, she placed a silencing spell on herself. The last thing she needed was for her to wake up the entire tower in the middle of the night because she had a nightmare. She hadn't realized how tired she was as she stared into the dying fire, quickly falling asleep.

Ariel had slept nightmare free that night, much to her surprise. She felt refreshed and happily scrambled out of bed to get ready. Since she had slept in the tower that night, she could finally walk to breakfast with Fred and George. She had to tell them about what had happened after they left for potions.

"So, basically, the git gave you lines because you stood your ground?" Fred asked after Ariel had told them everything. He slurped down a piece of bacon.

"Yep." Ariel said sourly. She was still pissed about last night, and was trying hard not to look at her father sitting at the staff table. This morning, for some reason, he was sitting on Dumbledore's left instead of his usual spot on the very end.

"But why is he so concerned with you talking to Damon? It's not like you agreed to help him." George pointed out, flinging a piece of toast at his brother.

Fred growled and flung some strawberry jam back. "And even if you did, what's the big deal? He's a Slytherin; shouldn't he be encouraging you to hang out with his kind?"

She shrugged and glanced over at her dad. He was talking to Dumbledore, who patted Snape encouragingly on the back, and stood up. To Ariel's surprise, he made her way over to her table and stopped in front of her.

"Good morning, Ariel, Fred, George." He smiled, nodding towards the boys.

Fred and George smiled and nodded. "Hello headmaster." Ariel grinned. It had been a while since she'd seen him; she hadn't realized how much she missed him until now. When she was younger, she stopped in to see him all the time.

"I was wondering if you could stop by my office after potions. I have something I'd like to discuss with you." The headmaster said, his eyes sparkling.

"Of course, sir."

"Very good, I'll see you then."

Fred gave her a curious look as Dumbledore walked away. "Why does he need to talk to you? Do you think Snape asked him to say something?"

Ariel shook her head. "Snape would rather forfeit a Quidditch match to Hufflepuff than ask Dumbledore for advice about parenting." She snorted.

Fred and George laughed, and the three of them finished their breakfast for Ariel headed off to potions. As she took her seat and leaned over to take her books out of her bag, she heard someone sit in the seat beside her. Confused, she quickly sat up, and to her horror, found none other than Damon Malfoy sitting in the once unoccupied chair, grinning.

"What are you doing?" she hissed, "Go sit somewhere else."

"On the contrary, I quite like this seat. I've been eyeing it for weeks."

For some reason, Ariel didn't think he was talking about the seat. "Damon, I'm not kidding. Go sit somewhere else. I'm not doing this right now, _especially _in this class."

"Oh come on, Ariel, just give me a chance."

"Damon, I'm warning you-"

The classroom door swung open, and Snape stepped inside. While taking attendance, he stopped at Damon's name and frowned. The boy wasn't in his usual seat. Scanning the room, he finally saw the brat, seated next to Ariel. His lip curled.

"Mr. Malfoy," he said silkily, "May I ask why you are not in your usual seat?"

Ariel covered her face with her hands. _Maybe if I think hard enough, I can make myself disappear-_

"I've decided to change things up a little bit, sir." Damon replied, a smile playing on his lips.

The room was silent for a moment. Ariel dared not look at Snape.

To her relief, Snape began the class. "Partner up, and begin the assigned potion." He barked, flipping the blackboard around and sitting at his desk.

"Let's go, partner." Damon said, stretching as he stood up.

Ariel looked at him incredulously. "You're joking."

"Oh come on." Damon groaned, "You don't know anyone, and I don't _like _anyone. We're destined to be partners!" he poked her teasingly.

_Oh, what the heck. _Ariel sighed. "Fine, but just this once-"

Damon was dragging her over to a lab table before she could finish her sentence.

Damon wasn't a bad lab partner, to Ariel's surprise. He seemed to enjoy the lesson, and paid close attention to what Ariel had to say when he got lost. Her only complaint was that he kept stealing other group's supplies.

"Do you have to be so obnoxious?" she snapped as he stole a better looking snake eye from the group behind them.

He shrugged. "If if gets me a better grade, than yeah."

Thankfully, Snape stayed away from them for most of the lesson. It wasn't until the very end until he decided to unleash his wrath.

"Mr. Malfoy," he said smoothly, "What color is your potion?"

Ariel glared at Snape while Damon took a look at the simmering potion. "Uh, it's a dark green, like it says on the board."

"And how much of the actual work did you do, Mr. Malfoy?"

Damon crossed his arms. "An equal amount of work as Ariel, sir."

"Oh really? Because from my observations, Mr. Malfoy, you did not drop one single ingredient into that potion."

"He cut the ingredients, sir." Ariel said loudly, "And stirred the potion the correct amount of times."

Snape grinned evilly at the two of them. Ariel could see it; he was coming in for the kill, no matter how unfair it might be. He was going to make sure Damon would stay away from Ariel.

"Alas, I will have to give you both a failing grade, as the workmanship was not split evenly among the two of you."

"Sir-" Damon began, but was cut off as Ariel marched out of them room, slamming the door.

She was halfway down the hallway when Snape caught up to her.

"HOW DARE YOU EXIT MY CLASSROOM IN SUCH A FASHION." He roared. Ariel had never seen Snape so angry, he'd certainly never been this furious with her before.

"How dare _I_?! You were completely unfair! You failed both of us because I chose to partner with Damon!" she yelled back.

"After I specifically told you not to-"

"So that gives you the right to mistreat your students?"

"_I _am the adult here, _I_ set the rules."

"Well if those are the rules you go by, I see why everyone hates you!" Ariel yelled, finally running off.

Running up to the owlery, Ariel finally sank to the ground and cried. She'd never argued with her father like that.

After she had finished crying, she sat and thought about what had happened for a while. Had she been in the wrong? Yes. She had lied to her father and gone against his wishes, although not purposefully. And yes, it had been inappropriate for her to storm out of her father's classroom like she had. And _yes_, her last comment was uncalled for. But her father had been extremely unfair too, whatever his excuse may be. She'd apologize to him later, after she'd had more time to cool down. For now, she should go and speak to Dumbledore. Heaving herself off the ground, she made her way to the headmaster's office.


	9. Chapter 9

Ariel tried to wipe away the remaining tears as she made her way to Dumbledore's office. The Griffon door staircase immediately moved aside as she approached, causing Ariel to smile a bit. As a girl, the door had always swung open for her, with or without the password. She hadn't been to the headmaster's office so far this year; it was comforting to know that the doorway still didn't question her.

As she entered the office, she glanced at the grandfather clock. Potions were still in session. She hoped Dumbledore wouldn't ask why she was here early. She lightly rapped on the door, and the old wizard looked up from his desk. He gave her a warm smile.

"Ah, Ariel. Thank you for coming." His familiar, comforting eyes were twinkling brightly.

"No problem, sir." Ariel gave a small smile and sat down.

Suddenly, Dumbledore's face clouded over in worry. "Dear girl, whatever is the matter?"

_Crap_. Ariel hadn't seen her reflection, but she guessed it must have been pretty bad. Now that she thought about it, her eyes felt sore and puffy. She rubbed her eyes and sighed.

Dumbledore's expression became even more concerned. "Ariel?"

Ariel felt her throat tighten. She didn't want to talk about what had happened in class, but she also knew Dumbledore wouldn't let it go that easily. He'd go to Snape if Ariel refused to say what had happened. And she was suddenly very curious as to why he had asked to speak with her in the first place.

"My father and I got into a bit of an, _altercation_, sir."

"Altercation?" Dumbledore asked softly, urging Ariel to go on.

"Well, um, he had asked me to avoid Damon Malfoy, and it seems that Damon is intent on… well, I don't know. He's been asking me to help him in potions, even though he's not half bad at them, and he's actually not that bad Everyone makes him out to be some rabid animal." Ariel rambled, "And today in class we partnered up, and dad decided to fail us both because 'the work wasn't evenly distributed', so I got mad and walked out."

Ariel took a deep breath while Dumbledore stroked his beard. It was quiet for a minute before Dumbledore spoke.

"Is that all?"

_How did he always know?_ "I said some things I shouldn't have said, too. I told him that it was no wonder everyone hates him." She felt so ashamed of those words now; they felt like vomit in her mouth.

Dumbledore folded his hands tightly in front of him and pursed his lips.

"My guess is that you're more upset over the fact that your father is being biased towards Damon rather than your failing grade. Correct?"

She blinked. "Well, yeah. I mean, he's a bit of a pain, but he's not the horribly sadistic maniac everyone thinks he should be. He even mentioned that his parents _belong_ in Azkaban for what they did."

It was Dumbledore's turn to blink. "I see."

It was very quiet for a long moment, until Ariel couldn't stand it anymore. She cleared her throat and shifted in her seat.

"Um, headmaster, why _did _you want to see me?"

Startled, Dumbledore looked up. He had been deep in thought. "Yes. Well I have a few matters to discuss with you, my dear." He paused, and picked up a piece of parchment from the right side of his desk. "It seems you are excelling exceptionally in your potions class."

Ariel nodded. It was true. Today was the first day she had received a grade lower than an _A_.

"Well, your father and I discussed placing you in the class a year ahead, so you'd be attending the second year potions class. Would you like that?"

Ariel almost whooped for joy. _No more boring potions with the first years, and a class with Fred and George!_ "Yes, sir, I'd like that very much."

"Of course I'll have to ask Professor McGonagall's permission before you change classes, but I'm sure it will be just fine with her. You'll start your new class Monday."

"Yes, thank you so much, sir. Thank you." Ariel grinned. _Wait until Fred and George hear!_

"Now, the other matter is something that must stay strictly between the two of us." Ariel looked up to see Dumbledore looking at her solemnly. "First years are not allowed to learn what I will be teaching you. I could get into some trouble with the Ministry if they ever found out."

"What about my dad?"

"Not even him, do you understand?"

She nodded, and Dumbledore cleared his throat. "I will be teaching you how to apparate."

"But sir, I don't need to learn that until seventh year!" Ariel said, confused.

Dumbledore nodded. "I'm aware of that, Ariel, but I think it'd be in your best interest if you learned as soon as possible."

"Why?"

Before Dumbledore could answer, an enraged Severus Snape burst through the door, snarling under his breath. He looked livid.

"Albus, has my daughter come here yet? She ran out of my class and I-"

His eyes narrowed when he finally saw the girl in the chair. Ariel turned around to face Dumbledore, and pressed her back into the seat, hoping she'd meld into the wood and disappear. She wasn't ready to talk to her father.

"What seems to be the problem, Severus?" Dumbledore asked cheerfully. Ariel stifled the urge to moan, Dumbledore's merriness was just going to infuriate her father even more.

"My daughter. She seems to believe her defiance will be accepted in my classroom." Ariel dared not turn around. She shot the headmaster a pleading look. The twinkle in Dumbledore's eye brightened.

"I see. Well, before you go, I have something I require your assistance with, Severus." Dumbledore stood up, and waved Snape over. He winked at Ariel, who gave him a confused look.

"Really, Albus, this isn't the time-"

"Just a moment my boy, that's all."

Snape huffed and hurried over to Snape's desk. "What is it?"

As Snape turned away from Ariel, Dumbledore motioned to the door with his head. Realizing what he meant, Ariel mouthed a _"thank you" _and quietly bolted for the door.

It wasn't until she was halfway down the corridor from the headmaster's office that she heard Snape shout, "_DAMMIT ALBUS_."

APHPSSAPHPSSAPHPSSAPHPSS

Sprinting to the Gryffindor common room, Ariel wasn't paying attention when Damon had walked right into her, his books flying everywhere.

"Geez, Golden Girl, watch where you're going."

Ignoring his comment, Ariel began walking away quickly. She didn't want Snape to catch up to her, especially after _that _little stunt.

"Wait!" Damon yelled, running after her. "Are you okay? How mad was your dad?"

Ariel kept walking, ignoring him. "Oh c'mon Potter, talk to me! I'm not angry if that's what you think. It wasn't your fault!"

"Why don't you just leave me alone, Damon? You've gotten me in enough trouble already." Ariel whirled around, snarling the words.

Damon took a step back. "Hey, it's not my fault Snape was a complete git today."

"Well that's more than you can say about _your_ parents." The words flew out of Ariel's mouth before she could stop herself.

Damon flinched. Ariel felt her throat tightening. All year she'd been so frightened of people asking about her past and her parents, and she'd just done what she prayed no one would ever do to her.

"Damon, wait I'm so sorry, I didn't mean it-"

H e was already halfway down the hallway before Ariel finished the sentence.

She slept in Gryffindor tower that night, where once again, the nightmares haunted her dreams. Harry had been scrubbing the bathroom floor, when a large, blond boy entered the room. The boy kicked Harry, causing his glasses to fly off. As Harry scrambled to find his them, the fat boy ran out of the room screaming for his mum. Ariel heard loud footsteps coming up the stairs, and the older man's voice roaring for Harry.

Waking up in a cold sweat, Ariel quickly sat up in bed. It wasn't even five yet, but she wasn't tired anymore. She lay back down and sighed, thinking about what she had to get done today. Well, for one, there was the charms test that she hadn't studied for. There went her perfect marks in that class. And then there was Damon. _Why _had she reacted to him like that? He'd been a pain, but he had seemed concerned about Ariel yesterday. And Ariel had snapped about his parents. _"Yeah, really upholding my Golden Girl reputation_." She thought, rolling her eyes.

But what about her dad? She had really messed up big time with that one. She wasn't going to admit she was wrong with the whole please-avoid-Damon thing; that hadn't been her fault. But the outburst in his classroom? Yeah, that had been pretty bad. When she was younger, she and Snape had gotten into spats here and there, which were usually over within a matter of minutes, but nothing like yesterday. Merlin, had he been mad. Tonight, she decided, she would apologize.

As she made her way to the Great Hall with Fred and George, she filled them in on what had happened.

Fred whistled. "I don't think anyone's ever talked to him like that in his classroom. The man scares half his students so badly they don't function when he's around."

"I know. I feel awful about it." Ariel sighed as she took her seat. Casting a quick look at the staff table, she was relieved to see that Snape wasn't there. She didn't have potions today, either, which meant she had the day to plan out her apology.

"I give you credit." George shoved a bit of eggs into his mouth. "Whadaya gonna do now? You think he'll hunt you down today to dish out your punishment?"

"Nah, if he wanted to, he'd be here." She motioned to the empty seat at the staff table.

"He's just as ashamed as you then, if he ain't here. The greasy git can't show his face." Fred teased.

"Hm." Somehow, Ariel didn't think that was it.

"So what about Malfoy?"

"She's not gonna say sorry to him!"

"Actually, I am, right now." Ariel said, standing. Damon was making his way over to the Slytherin table. "I'll be right back."

Damon was taking his usual seat by himself when Ariel walked over. He saw her as she approached, and turned away.

"Damon, I-"

"I don't want to hear it, Potter." He leaned on his elbow and propped open a potions textbook.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean it. It was a completely moronic thing to say. I was angry about my dad and I took it out on you. It was completely unfair."

"Why do you care if I'm mad at you or not? You've made it pretty clear that you want nothing to do with me." Damon looked down, flipping a couple of pages of the book.

"I was wrong. I'm sorry; please let me make it up to you."

"How?" Damon looked up, a small smile forming.

"I'll tutor you in potions." Ariel grinned back, taking the seat across from him. She didn't notice the horrified glances the surrounding Slytherins were giving her.

Damon smirked. "Fine, I forgive you. Your Golden Girl charm has convinced me."

Ariel rolled her eyes and got up. "Right after lunch, the library."

Damon nodded, and Ariel walked back to the Gryffindor table, where several students glared. She pretended not to notice, and sat back down next to Fred.

"Well?" George asked, flicking a berry at his brother.

"He forgave me." Ariel was relieved, and a bit surprised at how quickly he had forgiven her. If he had said something like that about Snape, she'd of cursed him into oblivion.

The day was a blur to her. She couldn't remember if she had thought the charms test was hard or not when she went to go and meet Damon in the library. The beginning of the lesson consisted of Ariel teaching Damon the basic ingredients for the simplest potions, and why they were necessary.

"You need to know this." She sighed as Damon yawned dramatically.

"Can't we take a break?" he complained, stretching his arms.

"I mean, I guess…"

There was a moment of awkward silence. Neither knew what to say to each other until Damon blurted out "So did we actually get a failing grade or…?"

"I have no idea."

Another awkward moment of silence.

"Have you talked to Snape?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"I'm not talking about this, Damon."

"Why not?" he leaned forward.

"Because the last time I checked, this was between my dad and I, not _you_, my dad, and I. Why do you even keeping asking about it any-" She stopped when she saw Damon's eyes widen. Giving him a questioning look, she turned when he motioned his head to the door.

Snape had entered the library.

Cursing under her breath, she quickly her things. "I have to go." She whispered. Damon nodded, and with that, Ariel bolted out of the library.

APHPSSAPHPSSAPHPSSAPHPSS

It had been a very long two days for Snape.

After Ariel's little episode in his class, he'd searched the entire castle for her, finally finding her in Dumbledore's office, only to have her escape again, with Albus' help. Since then, he had not seen her. He knew she was probably hiding up in Gryffindor tower, and he had no intentions of invading the hideaway. The last thing he wanted was for Ariel to cause a scene in front of her housemates, and to incur McGonagall's wrath. He'd overslept for breakfast, although he guessed that she probably skipped the meal as well. Then, he'd had classes, and so, after lunch, he decided to go and look for her. As he made his way past the Great Hall, he saw several of Hufflepuffs huddled together on a bench. Someone must have seen the girl today, he decided, and hurried over to them.

"Have any of you happened to come across Miss. Potter today?" he asked coolly, startling one of the girls.

They all look at each other, and then nodded at him. "She just went to the library sir." A short, blond boy nearly whispered. Giving them a quick nod, he walked to the library, not quite sure of what he would do if he found the girl.

As he entered, he noticed a group of Gryffindors throwing a paper ball around for a few moments, lighting the ball on fire for the finale. Taking away twenty points, he scanned the library for Ariel. Sighing audibly, he was about to leave when he spotted Damon sitting at table by himself, looking rather disappointed. Snape hesitated, fixed his robes, and billowed over.

"Where is my daughter?" Snape asked in his deadliest tone, not even bothering to acknowledge the boy first.

Damon gave him a bored look. "I don't know, sir."

Glaring viciously, Snape leaned down so he was face to face to him. "I won't ask again, Malfoy. I know she was here by the pathetic expression on your face. Where. Did. She. Go."

Flipping through his textbook, Damon didn't even bother looking up this time. "I don't know, sir. Honest."

Snape's lip curled, and he slammed his head down on the table. Damon continued to read his textbook. Just as he was about to unleash his wrath, a noise behind caused him to turn around. McGonagall was standing stiffly, her arms folded.

McGonagall cleared her throat loudly. "Professor Snape, I require your assistance in a matter that pertains to your daughter, if you're done interrogating Mr. Malfoy."

Scowling, Snape stood up and motioned for McGonagall to show the way. Leading him into her office, McGonagall waved for him to sit down. After refusing a cup of tea, Snape was becoming impatient.

"Minerva, where is my daughter?"

The older Gryffindor sat down and clasped her hands tightly. "I don't know about the whereabouts of Ariel, I apologize if that's what you thought. I asked you to come here because I want to make sure there's no… _hard feelings_ about her sleeping arrangements."

"I hardly blame you for Ariel wanting to sleep in Gryffindor tower."

McGonagall sighed. "So it's as I suspected. Don't be upset, Severus, but _I_ confined Ariel to the dormitories."

Snape blinked. "What do you mean, '_confined her_?"

"She's been falling asleep far too much as of late. She's obviously not getting enough sleep-"

"Are you accusing me of not taking proper care of my daughter?" Snape hissed, his eyes narrowing.

"Of course not, but this _does_ need to stop. It's going to catch up to eventually and I-"

"It doesn't matter what _you _want or _think _Ariel needs. I'm her father, therefore-"

"Unless there's something you're not telling me, Severus, I want to see how she does sleeping with the other students. She seems to be doing better these past couple of days." McGonagall crossed her arms.

Snape gritted his teeth. Bloody Gryffindors, thinking they knew what was best all the time, not even considering other possibilities. He closed his eyes and rubbed his temple. "The reason, Minerva, for her apparent lack of rest, is due to her night terrors. They've been occurring every night since term began. They keep her up half the night. I've been doing what I can to ease them, but they seem to be repressed memories finally surfacing."

McGonagall looked stunned. "Repressed memories?"

Snape nodded grimly. "Of the night her parents died."

"Oh, Severus, I'm so sorry. I never would have-"

He was standing before she finished the sentence. "I don't blame you Minerva, but I need to go and find her. We had a bit of a… disagreement yesterday and far much too time has gone by without us talking."

She nodded, and Snape flew out of the room, already preoccupied with where Ariel would be. He was starting to become worried. Between her outburst and her disappearance, he was growing more and more concerned. This wasn't like Ariel, and he couldn't help wondering if the nightmares had something to do with it. Maybe his anger had set her over the edge.

But where the bloody hell where she?

APHPSSAPHPSSAPHPSSAPHPSS

Ariel awoke with a start in the Gryffindor common room. She had no idea how long she had been asleep, but she felt horrible. The nightmares were starting to become unbearable. This one had been a jumble of different things; Voldemort cackling over her mum's corpse, Harry crying in his cupboard, Snape screaming at her to run from some unseen force, Damon yelling some unintelligible message…

Guessing she had already missed dinner, she decided to go and finally talk to Snape; her apology was long past due. She had been acting like a child, really, ignoring her father all day, avoiding the problem. It would have been best if she had just taken the punishment when Snape found her in Dumbledore's office. But she couldn't shake this overwhelming feeling of sadness now. It was as if an invisible hand had reached inside and twisted her intestines, or was clenching her heart. Her entire chest hurt. She began to shake, and moaned. Suddenly, she found herself really wanting her dad, a feeling she hadn't gotten since she was little. Not even when she had woken up screaming in terror had she once wanted him to come immediately. She'd been grateful when he'd shown up moments later, but never felt like she _needed_ him. If anything, she felt like a burden.

Still shaking, she made her way down to the dungeons. She quietly tapped the large, wooden, door to Snape's quarters.

"Enter." A very tired voice called.

She hesitated, took another deep breath, and entered the room.

Snape was sitting by the fireplace, looking exhausted. The lines on his forehead were etched with worry. Ariel felt even guiltier; he'd probably been looking for her all day, and she, being an idiot, had avoided him. Why had she been acting like such a child?

Snape jumped to his feet, his face a mixture of rage and concern. Tears sprang into her eyes before she could choke them back.

"I'm so sorry, dad, I just-"

Ariel knees gave out from underneath her, and she found herself sobbing uncontrollably on the wooden floor.

Bewildered, Snape rushed over and wrapped his arms around the hysterical child. What the bloody hell was wrong with her?

"Ariel, it's alright. Calm down." He shushed her, stroking the back of her head. He was becoming a bit panicky. This wasn't normal behavior for Ariel, let alone a child.

"I feel horrible." Ariel blubbered. A part of her thought of the fact that she was ruining his robes, but couldn't find the strength to stop crying. "I was a complete idiot, I didn't mean what I said to you, I just-"

"It's alright, child." Snape soothed. "Breathe, take deep breaths for me."

Ariel broke away and whimpered. These chest pains were becoming excruciatingly painful.

"Dad, please, my-" a wave of pain cut her off, knocking the wind out of her.

"Ariel?" Snape took her face in his hands, the pain in her eyes was screaming for him to help her.

Gasping for air, she held her knees to her chest, trying to block out the pain. Black spots were starting to appear in her vision, and she felt relief as the blackness slowly began to take away the throbbing in her chest.

Snape pulled the unconscious girl into his arms, and fled to the hospital wing.


	10. Chapter 10

"_Harry!" Ariel yelled, frantically waving at her brother. Why could he never see her in these dreams?_

_It was odd, she was completely aware she was dreaming, which had never happened before. Couldn't you control your imagination when you lucid dreamed? Maybe she was doing something wrong…_

_Her little brother was sitting in his cupboard, drawing a picture. She had watched him steal a piece of paper and a red crayon from Dudley's, which was the fat boy's name, room. He was drawing a dragon breathing fire, while a stick figure of a small boy smiled. _

_Sitting on the opposite side of the cot, Ariel crossed her arms. Every time she had dreamed about Harry, it was always a nightmare. Why was she seeing him like this? Weren't dreams supposed to be fast, crazy, nonsense? What was going on?_

_The fat boy was running down the stairs, bouncing on the one directly above the cupboard, causing Harry to flinch. He quickly shoved his masterpiece under a pillow and sat up straight. _

_A horsey-looking woman flung open the door and grabbed Harry. "Here we go." Ariel muttered, and climb out of the cramped room. Following them into the kitchen, the woman thrust Harry towards the stove. _

"_Dinner. Now." She commanded. _

_As Harry began slicing carrots, the fat slob started whining about watching the telly. Ariel drowned him out, focusing on Harry. _

"_Hey! Harry! Look!" Ariel hopped into the table and began jumping up and down. Nothing. _

_Running over to him, she tried grabbing the carrot he was cutting. To her surprise, her hand went straight through it. "Of course." She growled, and boosted herself onto the counter. She kicked her feet against the counter. Still nothing. _

_Growing bored, she hopped off the table and decided to check outside. Maybe she could figure out where the bloody hell she was. _

_That meant she could figure out where Harry was._

_Sprinting through the doorway, she felt herself collide with a nonexistent wall. Confused, she raised her wall to the open frame. Her hand went through. She took another step, and felt herself no longer able to step any further. "Brilliant." She groaned. What was that? Why wasn't she able to go through the doorway? Could she only stay near Harry?_

_What kind of dream was this?_

_Taking a deep breath, Ariel sat in a kitchen chair and watched Harry start pouring the ingredients into a large pot. _

"_Why isn't she-"_

_Ariel whirled around. Snape? Was Snape here? Jumping up, she began yelling. "Dad! Dad I'm here!" _

"_Severus, please-"Dumbledore? _

"_HELLO?" she yelled. Where were they, why were they in her dream?_

"_-completely out, I don't-"_

"_She must have been doing something to cause a reaction like-"_

"_Impossible."_

_As the voices became louder, the scene before her began to slowly fade away. First, the woman and Dudley disappeared, followed by the living room, and then the kitchen, until all that remained was Harry, still cooking._

"_Harry!" she tried to say, but her voice was gone. Stumbling towards him, the familiar voices sounded like they were right next to her._

"_Severus, enough!"_

"_I have a right to know what's happening, Albus. If you're keeping something from me to test some idiotic theory on my child, Merlin help you-"_

"_Severus!"_

"_Oh, do be quiet Minerva. You know as well as I what he's doing. Do not make excuses for him."_

"_I assure you, my boy, I would never-"_

"_You would never? Where have I heard those words before? Oh wait-"_

"_Severus, PLEASE-"_

"_Someone's magical core doesn't just become depleted out of nowhere-"_

"_And how is that Albus' fault?"_

_A sudden ringing began drowning out the voices, and the scene before her faded to black._

Bolting up, Ariel gasped for air. What the hell had that been? It wasn't a nightmare or a night terror. She didn't think it was even a dream.

Blinking, she took in the new scene around her. Snape was standing very close, uncomfortably close, to Dumbledore, shaking with anger. The lines in his forehead were still etched with worry. Dumbledore had a blank expression on his face, while McGonagall looked mortified.

Madam Pomfrey was the only one to notice that Ariel had woken up for a moment, quickly running a diagnostic spell. Ariel's head was still a little hazy, but she was deep in thought. No, that definitely hadn't been a dream.

Snape darted to Ariel's side, pressing his hand to her forehead. "Her temperature still hasn't gone down." He murmured. Cupping her chin in his hand, he sighed. The lines in his forehead were becoming more pronounced. He looked horrible, like he had aged twenty years.

Remembering what had happened, Ariel flinched. The pain was gone, but the memory felt vivid.

Snape and Ariel stared at each other for a long, quiet moment, before Ariel threw her arms around him. Burying her face into his chest, she breathed in his familiar scent. He wrapped his arms around her.

"I'm sorry." Ariel mumbled, her face still buried in his robes. Snape sighed.

"I know."

The healer looked disturbed as she stepped away from Ariel. "Her fever is the same, and she seems to no longer be in pain, but her core is even lower than before." Madam Pomfrey said quietly. Ariel looked up. The adults all looked shocked.

"How… is that possible? She's been asleep this whole time! She hasn't been using magic!" McGonagall whispered.

Frowning, Ariel looked at Snape. "Magical core? My magical core is… low?"

A fresh layer of concern had covered Snape's face. He ran his hand through Ariel's thick hair. "Yes."

How _was_ that possible? She had barely used magic in the past week, let alone the past couple of hours. And nothing odd had happened besides the dreams…

"The dreams." Ariel gasped. _I knew it. _

"What?" Snape asked, his arms tightening around her.

"My dreams of Harry, they're not dreams."

Blank stares from everyone except Dumbledore, who was looked… proud?

"I think Ariel answered a question I've been trying to solve for several years now." The headmaster said softly, looking at the girl in awe.

Snape sprang up, shaking with rage. Ariel held on to his sleeve tightly.

"DID I NOT TELL YOU THAT MY DAUGHTER WAS NOT TO BE USED FOR YOUR IDIOTIC SCHEMES?" He roared. "HOW DARE YOU. SHE COULD HAVE _DIED_, BUT ALL YOU CARE ABOUT IT YOUR BLOODY ANSWERS-"

Dumbledore held up his hands. "My dear boy, I haven't been testing anything on the girl."

The enraged potions master sat down, protectively holding the confused child. "You just admitted, Albus, that you-"

"Severus, allow me to explain." The old man's eyes grew solemn. "I promise you, I would never put Ariel in danger. This was simply something I expected to happen. I had no influence on it whatsoever."

Snape glared. "Then, by all means, _explain_."

Dumbledore stepped forward, and gripped the railings of the bed. "When Ariel and Harry were hit by the killing curse nine years ago, they were given that scar." He motioned to Ariel, who felt the lightning shaped crevice. Snape's grip tightened. "As you're well aware, that is no normal scar. It's the result of some very dark, very old magic that was activated. I have often wondered if there was more than just a scar given when Voldemort cast the spell." Dumbledore paused, and looked at Ariel. "You've been seeing your brother, but he and his family have not been able to see you in these 'dreams', correct?"

Ariel nodded.

"Ariel and Harry are connected, not just magically, but mentally. This magic allows her to see Harry, although she might not be doing it purposefully. My guess is that Ariel is activating this connection involuntarily while she sleeps, thus resulting in these visions, and her magical core being depleted rapidly."

Shocked silence filled the room.

"So what do we do to stop it, Albus? This can't go on, her core will break. Or worse, kill her." Snape said shakily. Ariel leaned into him and closed her eyes.

"I've thought about this, and I've only been able to come up with one solution; she'll have to learn Occlumency." Dumbledore stated quietly.

"Learn _Occlumency? _Dumbledore, there are full grown wizards who cannot fathom ever mastering that, let alone a child!" McGonagall protested. "There has to be some other way."

"Occu- what?" Ariel asked, opening her eyes and sitting up straighter.

"Occlumency." Snape repeated softly, looking down at her. "It's the act of magically closing one's mind, so no one else can access it. In your case, you'll have to learn how to close your mind, so that when you fall asleep, your mind doesn't wander to Harry's."

"Severus, you can't think she'll be able to learn it. She's only a child!" McGonagall looked doubtful.

"Relax, Minerva. She'll be learned the simplest form on the art. All she'll be taught is how to close her mind before she sleeps. It's fairly simple."

McGonagall was about to protest when Ariel interrupted. "So that means every… _vision_ I've had of Harry is real?"

"Correct." Dumbledore nodded.

"Then we need to go and get him."

Stunned silence followed her statement. Dumbledore cleared his throat. "Ariel, I don't-"

"His family hates him, headmaster. They make him cook and clean and garden everyday for _hours. _His room is a cupboard under the stairs and his clothes are three sizes too big and full of holes. And if he doesn't get all his work his uncle beats him horribly. He has bruises and cuts all over so that he can't move for days sometimes. They don't love him, they hate him. To them, he's a burden that was dumped on their doorstep, and he should be grateful for every crumb, which is usually his meal, given to him." She stopped when she noticed the horrified expressions in the room. Dumbledore was the first to compose himself. McGonagall looked like she was on the verge of tears.

Dumbledore still looked doubtful. Ariel felt her face flush red in anger. How could he still be so ignorant? She was obviously having these dreams, why was he so uncertain?

"Use the Occlumency-thing on me." Ariel said, looking the old wizard straight in the eye.

More stunned silence. "Ariel-" Dumbledore began gently.

"_No. _Use it on me. It'll prove I'm not lying."

"I never said you were lying, child."

"Then look at the visions! See what they're doing to him!" Ariel yelled.

'Albus-" Snape was shaking his head, giving Dumbledore a vicious glare.

"No dad let him do it. Please." She pulled away from him, and gave Dumbledore a pleading look.

Everyone was quiet, and finally Dumbledore nodded his head.

"Albus, _no_, I forbid it-"

"You're first instinct will be to resist, but you mustn't. If you do, I can assure you this won't be pleasant." The old wizard said sternly, ignoring Snape.

"ALBUS-"

Ariel nodded, and looked Dumbledore in the eyes.

"Legilimens."

"NO-"

Suddenly, Ariel was thrust into dozens of memories. Harry gardening, crying in his cupboard, sneaking food from the garbage, being kicked by his cousin, being beaten with belt…

She was reliving the horrors all over again.

Dumbledore looked through everything. After what seemed like ages, he finally stopped. Ariel had tears streaming down her face, not remembering when she had started crying. Snape was cradling her, and glaring murderously at the headmaster. She glanced at Dumbledore.

"It's true, what she says." He said solemnly. He looked like he was calculating something.

McGonagall gasped, "Albus-"

"Ariel, the blood wards at your aunt and uncles protect your brother." Dumbledore said, interrupting the staggered woman, "As long as he is underage, he must remain there."

"And continue to be abused? Albus, you cannot be serious." McGonagall looked horrified.

"Oh, trust me, dear Minerva; I'll be paying them a visit." Dumbledore had managed a smile, but the room was suddenly filled with an air of anger emanating from him. Ariel had once heard Snape say that Dumbledore angry was far more terrifying than fifty Voldemorts, and now she knew why. Her first instinct was to flee the room, but knowing she couldn't possibly do that, she cowered into her father. He had stiffened as well, but wrapped his arms back around her.

"Headmaster, you're frightening my daughter."

The terrifying energy suddenly disappeared, and the old man smiled apologetically down at Ariel. "My apologies Ariel. But do not worry; your brother's family will be dealt with. I _will _see justice done there, I promise."

"Thank you, headmaster." Ariel breathed a sigh of relief. _They're coming, Harry_.

"I would actually like to go now… Minerva? Would you mind accompanying me? I gather the sense that you would love nothing more than to see Harry's _family _rewarded for their care of him."

McGonagall gave a grim nod.

"We will be back later, for now, get some rest, Miss. Potter. You've had a long day." And with that, Dumbledore and McGonagall quickly left the room.

It was quiet for a moment before Ariel spoke. "What do you think they're gonna do to them?" She asked Snape, a tiny grin playing on her lips.

He gave a small smile back. "I'm sure they'll think of something creative."

"But they won't hurt Harry, right?"

"Of course not."

Ariel began fidgeting with her hands. "So, um, are we okay? I'm really sorry about everything. I never meant to snap at you like that. I don't know what came over me that day and I feel… well, crappy about it." She looked down, avoiding Snape's unreadable gaze.

"Ariel, look at me."

Hesitantly, she looked up, meeting eyes that looked remarkably similar to hers. Snape had assured her that her eyes hadn't changed after the blood adoption, but she had a hard time believing that.

"I forgive you. And I apologize for the way I acted as well. It was tremendously unfair of me to grant you a failing grade because you were partners with Damon. I realize now that you couldn't help it, and from what Dumbledore has informed me, he might not be a hopeless case." Hopeless case? "While it was wrong of you to react the way you did, it was justifiable."

"I forgive you, too." Ariel said, squeezing her dad's hand. "But what do you mean that Damon's not a 'hopeless case'?

Snape sighed. "After his parents were tried for their crimes and placed in Azkaban, Bellatrix's sister's husband, Lucius Malfoy, took in the boy. He changed his last name in order to disguise the boy's true identity as he grew up, but the entire wizarding world knew who he was thanks to The Daily Prophet publishing an article featuring the abandoned or orphaned children of Death Eaters. I wanted you to stay away from him because I know how Lucius is, with his pureblood supremacy and loyalty to the Dark Lord, and I assumed that Damon would be just like him. Merlin knows, Lucius' actual son, Draco, is his clone. But apparently I was mistaken."

"So… you were trying to protect me is what you're saying?"

"Correct."

A warm feeling filled Ariel, and she grabbed her dad's hand. They gave each other a long look until she leaned back against her pillow and gave her dad her best smile, "So is my failing grade resolved?"

Snape rolled his eyes dramatically. "We reconcile and _that's_ the first question you ask?" he teased.

"Well, I don't want to start second year potions on a bad note!"

He snorted.

"I'm serious!"

"You're grade has been modified." He assured her, "But if you decide to join your two friends in terrorizing my class, I promise you that you will find yourself with worse than a failing grade."

Ariel's eyes widened in mock surprise, "I would never."

"Hm, indeed."

She laughed at her father's smirk, and brushed a strand of hair out of her face. "So what about my magical core? Will it be… I don't know… replenished?"

Snape nodded, "No one has unlimited amounts of magic. When you exert a large amount of magical energy in a small period of time, you're magical core depletes rapidly, causing your bodily to physically begin to deteriorate. Your latest vision must have taken quite a toll. But yes, it was eventually be replenished. It will take a few days time, however."

"What happens if the core runs out, or breaks?"

"You die, or in some cases, you become a Squib."

Ariel shuddered. For some reason, being a Squib scared her more than dying. She felt naked without her wand, even though she'd only hand it for a short time. Imagine what it was like to have your magic ripped from you…

"You should rest." Snape said softly, ripping Ariel from her thoughts. He handed her a vile of Dreamless Sleep, drinking it obediently.

She yawned dramatically, attempting to make Snape laugh. She realized just tired she was, and lay down. The last thing she heard was Snape chuckle, and she fell asleep.

The rest of the school year went by without further incidents.

When Dumbledore and McGonagall returned from Harry's, they assured Ariel that they had been dealt with properly. Harry had apparently been at school during their visit, and hadn't witnessed a thing. She had curiously asked them what spells they had used on his guardians, but Snape had silenced her with a look.

Her magical core healed after a week of bed rest, and Snape began Occlumency lessons with her. Every night, she practiced clearing her mind before going to bed, and putting up a "wall", as Snape had put it. The work was tedious, but Ariel had begun to get the hang of it fairly quickly. The visions of Harry slowly began to stop, until they were no more.

Dumbledore had given her the apparation lessons during lunch. In the beginning, it had been hard to hide them Snape. She felt guilty about lying to him, but she knew Dumbledore wouldn't have told her to keep it from it if it wasn't for a good reason. Apparation was _lot _harder than Occlumency, but the headmaster was a wonderful teacher. He was patient and encouraging, always telling Ariel to try again when she was having difficulty. Since Hogwarts was covered in anti-apparation wards, Dumbledore removed the one in his office and she practiced apparating from his desk to the doorway. It took three months before she was finally able to do it, and she hated it. Apparating made her feel like she was in, what did Muggles call it? A blender?

Ariel joined Snape's second year potions class once she recovered, to Fred and George's delight. She made them promise to keep the pranks to a minimum, only allowing them to cause mischief if Snape was being a complete bastard to the Gryffindors in the class. It was very hard for her to keep a straight face when Fred set a firecracker off, causing a potion to explode onto several Slytherins, covering them in boils. She hid her giggles behind her textbook as Snape vowed to catch the culprit, promising expulsion. He was never able to catch the three comics, but his suspicions were never wrong.

As for Damon Malfoy, Ariel had spent the weeks after her incident tutoring him in potions. The boy was clever, and had a very sarcastic sense of humor that reminded Ariel of her father's. She found herself spending more and more time with him throughout the school year, maybe more time than she spent with Fred and George. There was something about him that Ariel trusted.

On the last day of term, Damon and Ariel had met by the lake after lunch. They walked silently for a few moments until Damon spoke.

"Will I hear from you during holiday?"

Ariel was about to say "of course", but stopped. "Would your uncle like that?" she asked hesitantly.

Damon grimaced, "I don't care what my uncle likes. You know that. I won't survive another summer there if you don't write to me!"

"Damon, it's too risky. We couldn't write about what we usually talk about without taking the chance of him intercepting it." She sighed.

"Well, then just write to me. About anything. I just wanna hear from you."

She was about to argue, but stopped when she saw his face. "Fine." She rolled her eyes, "I _guess_ I could make time to write to you."

"Obligations, Golden Girl." He teased, pulling her hair.

Swatting at him, she laughed. She was really going to miss him, sarcasm and all.

On the last day of term, she hugged Fred, George, and Damon goodbye. "I'll write." She promised as she waved them off to the train.

She floo'd home with Snape that evening, finding herself looking forward to spending a summer with her dad. Although they had made time with each other during the school year, it was nice to have access to him all the time again.

As she went to bed that night, she was asleep before her head hit the pillow.

Ariel found herself in a familiar kitchen in her dreams.

She moaned. Harry was sitting at the counter, eating ice cream happily. The rest of the family was nowhere to be found. Cursing, she fell into a nearby chair. "_How could you forget to do Occlumency tonight?" _Maybe she could wake herself up. Pinching her arm as hard as she could, she concentrated on the pain. Nothing.

Sighing, she stood up. Now what was she to do? She was stuck here until she woke up.

Maybe she could figure out where Harry was. It hadn't worked the last time, but then again, she had been more concerned with what was happening.

Spotting a couple of magazines, she snatched a copy and read the address on the back. _4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey._ She silently cheered. Could she apparate to Harry's house? I mean, in order to apparate, you had to have _been _to the place you were apparating to, and she had _technically _been there. She had an address, why not?

She was growing more excited by the moment. But how would she get passed Snape? He'd certainly never let her go. She'd have to wait for him to spend the day in the basement, making potions. That's the only time she'd be able to sneak off and come back without him noticing. Yes, it could work.

The scene in front of her slowly began to fade, and Ariel sighed with relief. She was finally waking up.

APHPSSAPHPSSAPHPSSAPHPSSAPHPSS

Ariel had planned every single part of this carefully. She had waited all summer, and today was finally the day.

There was no way Snape could find out if she was back before he came up from the basement, which wouldn't be for hours. She had everything set. She'd tell her dad she was going to read all day in order to get a head start on the lessons for the upcoming year. No doubt he'd be pleased with that, and then she'd go to his apparating spot.

She was finally going to meet Harry.

She told her father the "plan" for the day at breakfast; he had given her an approving nod, and squeezed her shoulder before making his way downstairs. Ariel then locked her bedroom door, and bolted outside. She'd apparated with Snape several times when they couldn't floo. His apparation spot was under a large sycamore, a little ways past his house.

Ariel arrived on a small, suburban street, identical to the one she had been seeing in her dreams. She breathed a sigh of relief. She quickly began walking down the block, finding Number 4 Privet Drive almost immediately. A small boy, identical to the one she saw in her visions, was gardening. Her stomach was suddenly in knots. Holding her breathe, she took a step forward.

"Hello!" she called, smiling. The boy whirled around, looking a bit confused.

"I didn't mean to startle you." Ariel said apologetically, "But are you Harry Potter?"

The boy's jaw dropped, along with the shovel he was holding. "I'm, uh, ye-yes." He said, completely stunned.

She tried to swallow the lump in her throat, and walked closer to him. He was short, shorter than most ten year olds; she was taller than him. He was incredibly skinny, his clothes were far too large for his frail frame. He had thick, black, messy hair cover his head, and his eyes- Ariel smiled. _Mum's eyes._ She thought to herself. They were a brilliant emerald, shining in the sunlight. He moved a piece of hair out of his face, revealing a lightning shaped scar on his forehead. Ariel breathed a sigh of relief. This was definitely Harry.

She grinned widely at him. "Harry, it's me, Ariel!" she said, taking a step towards him. He backed away, looking incredibly confused. "Your sister!" she clarified.

"Sister?" he whispered, "My aunt said my family died in a car crash."

Ariel's jaw dropped. "She- she said, I _died?_" Ariel whispered. Why would she tell him that? What kind of person would tell their nephew such a horrible lie? She felt her stomach churn with nausea as she realized. She hoped Dumbledore and McGonagall had given these horrible people what they deserved.

Harry was giving her a wary look. "Look!" Ariel instructed, parting her hair to show her scar, "Just like you!"

Harry's mouth dropped again, and Ariel laughed. "Here, let me help you with that." She grinned, waving her hands in a motion that was strange to Harry. Suddenly, the weeds were all gone, as well as the gardening tools. Her dad would kill her if he knew she had done magic in a Muggle neighborhood.

"How-how did you do that?" Harry chocked out.

Ariel raised an eyebrow, "Magic," she said, a bit confused Harry was so shocked.

"Magic?" Harry repeated, a realization suddenly appearing in his eyes.

Ariel realized something as well. The stupid, bloody Muggles hadn't told him he was a wizard either. Of course.

"Did, your aunt and uncle not tell you about magic either?" she whispered, grabbing his hand. He shook his head, his eyes widening, and Ariel sighed. Merlin, she was going to have to explain _everything_ to him.

"You're a wizard." Ariel told him, very matter-of-factly. He flinched at those words, but she continued. "When you and I were babies, a really evil wizard killed our parents and tried to kill us." She took a deep breath. She bloody hated talking about this part. "But somehow we survived, and we're known throughout the wizarding world as The-Children-Who-Lived."

Harry's eyes flashed with pain. "I have dreams about her," he said, "I hear her screaming."

Ariel was quiet for a moment. "I do, too." She said finally, giving him a reassuring look.

"So what happened to him? The wizard who killed our parents?"

Ariel shrugged. "No one really knows. Some think he's dead, while others think he's still out there. Really weak, but out there." She shivered, but not from the cold. She didn't want to talk about Voldemort anymore. She gave Harry a sad smile, and he grinned back. "C'mon!" she said, standing up, "Let's go somewhere else!"

Harry bit his lip and looked around nervously. "I shouldn't leave. My aunt Petunia said it was important I stay nearby. They've never really been nice to me, but a couple of months ago, they started treating me pretty decently. I don't know why, but I still do the chores, just in case."

Ariel gave him an understanding look. She couldn't tell him she had been the reason for his guardian's sudden change in attitude. "Why not? Your chores are done!" she said, grinning mischievously.

Harry smiled timidly back at her. "I guess you're right."

He stood up and ran to the end of the driveway. "C'mon! There's a playground around the corner!"

APHPSSAPHPSSAPHPSSAPHPSS

Snape felt his stomach drop to his feet when he heard the siren of his apparition wards going off. He bolted up the stairs. To his horror he found Ariel's door locked, and quickly yelled "Alohomora." His chest tightened when that didn't work, and spent the next several minutes trying to open it. When it _finally _opened, he felt his knees buckle. She wasn't in her room. He quickly searched the rest of the house looking for Ariel, but he knew it was useless. She was gone.

Snape's head was spinning. Was she taken? Had she left? No, she couldn't have left. That was impossible. But how had someone broken through his wards? Dumbledore had put them there himself! Snape was going to be sick. Whoever had taken her was powerful, and he had no way of tracking them whatsoever. _I failed Lily, I failed Ariel_… the voice in his head kept repeating.

_No._

Grabbing, a handful of floo powder, he shakily shouted "Headmaster's office!" As he exited the fireplace, Dumbledore looked up, as if expecting him. "Severus," he said in a concerned tone, "I was just about to floo you-"

"Albus, Ariel's been taken." Severus stammered, his head still swimming, "The anti-apparition wards went off and I went to go check on her and she was gone. I have absolutely no idea-"

"Severus-"

"Who the _bloody hell_ came through but if-"

"_Severus-"_

"I don't know what to do but I came to you as soon I made sure she wasn't anywhere in the house, we have to alert the Aurors, we have to done something-"

"_SEVERUS!"_

Snape froze, surprised to see the headmaster with an amused look on his face.

"I assure you headmaster, as much as my concern for my ward gives you pleasure, now is really not the time to –"

"Severus, Ariel is perfectly fine." The headmaster said, "She's with Harry"

"She's _what_?"

"With Harry." Dumbledore repeated, finally rising from his desk. "I placed a tracking spell on Ariel before she left Hogwarts, just in case. You see, I've been teaching her to apparate, and I thought she might pull something like this-"

"_YOU TAUGHT HER TO APPARATE? WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND TEACHES A TWELVE YEAR OLD TO APPARATE?" _ Snape stormed "_YOU DIDN'T EVEN CONSULT ME ON THE MATTER. YOU JUST_-"

"Severus, I assure you, she's perfectly fine."

"_Perfectly fine-"_

"I apologize for not informing you of our lessons." Dumbledore said, the twinkle in his eyes brightening, "But I assure you, its better that she learn this now than later."

"Albus, what in the bloody hell are you talking about?" Severus crossed his arms. He was glaring at Dumbledore viciously, but the old man simply smiled.

"You'll see, my boy, you'll see." He seemed to be talking to himself more than Snape, but at this point, Snape didn't care. He wanted Ariel back under his protection.

"Albus," Snape sighed, "Where is Harry Potter?" It had to be somewhere he had been before, since Ariel had gotten there herself.

"Ah, see, there is the question." He mused. Severus was about to explode.

"Albus." He gritted his teeth. "Where. Is. Harry. Potter."

"Number Four Privet Drive, Surrey." Dumbledore said finally, looking directly at Snape. "Have you been there before, Severus?"

Snape blinked. "No." So how in Merlin's name did Ariel get there? He was getting more confused by the moment.

"That is the mystery." Dumbledore stroked his beard. After another long moment, he stood up. "Come," Dumbledore said, holding out his arm. "Let's go get your daughter."

APHPSSAPHPSSAPHPSSAPHPSS

Harry couldn't believe what he was missing out on. Ariel had explained the Ministry of Magic when they first got to the playground, and was now in the middle of talking about Hogwarts. Harry was excitedly asking questions left and right. He couldn't believe that next month he would go, and Uncle Vernon could do nothing about it! He was finally getting away!

"So even if Uncle Vernon says I can't, I still get to go?" Harry asked for the hundredth time. He still couldn't believe it. His sister was alive, he was famous, and a _wizard_. There were other freaks like him!

Ariel rolled her eyes and laughed. "Yes, Harry!" she playfully punched his arm. "Our names have been on the Hogwarts enrollment sheet since we were born! There's no way in hell you wouldn't be attending. Dumbledore wouldn't hear of it."

Harry laughed with her. _Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia won't have a say in this at all! _He thought excitedly. _I wonder if Ariel's parents are nicer than mine-_ Harry frowned. Through the entire conversation, he hadn't asked Ariel. Who had raised _her?_

"Wait, so Ariel." Harry began, "Why were we separated? Who have _you _been with?"

"That would be _me."_ A bone chilling voice said from behind. Harry whirled around to see a tall, black haired man, with a long, crooked nose. His expression defined the phrase "if looks could kill."

"_Dad,"_ Ariel gasped.

_Dad? _Harry thought. _This guy raised my sister?_ Suddenly he felt grateful for the Dursleys.

"Do you have _any _idea what you have put me through today?" Ariel's dad sounded murderous, looking straight at Ariel. Shivers ran down Harry's spine. Ariel looked like she might be sick. "_First_, you lie to me. _Second_, you use underage magic. _Third_, you apparate away from home, and last but _certainly _not least, you locate your brother when you had been given strict instruction to _stay away_." The man was practically yelling at this point. "Do you have _any _idea what the ramifications of your little excursion might have been if I hadn't found you? If it hadn't been for Dumbledore placing that tracking spell on you, there would be Aurors after you right now. I thought you had been _kidnapped-_"

Ariel was looking extremely pale at this point. Her head had snapped up to look at her father defiantly when he mentioned staying away from her brother.

"Why should I stay away from him." She yelled, balling her fists. "He's my _brother._"

"It's for your _safety_, which you seem to have absolutely no regard for." He snarled back.

"_I_ have no regard for safety?" Ariel snapped back, "His aunt and uncle had been abusing him and you want to lecture me about _safety_?!"

Harry and Snape froze. _How did she know? _Harry panicked; _Uncle Vernon is going to __**kill **__me._

"Ariel," Snape began, his tone dangerous, daring Ariel to interrupt him, "Dumbledore would not have placed you're _darling _brother in a home that would compromise his safety. I can assure you, Dumbledore would know the _instant _that _any _abuse was occurring. Isn't that right, Mr. Potter?" Snape finally turned to Harry, glaring coldly at the James Potter clone.

"Ye-yes sir." Harry stammered, terrified.

"No!" Ariel yelled

"Enough!" Snape snapped, grabbing Ariel's arm. "Say goodbye to your brother, we're leaving."

"No!"

"_Enough._"

"NO."

Before Harry could say anything, they were gone.


	11. Chapter 11

"_HOW COULD YOU HAVE SAID THAT TO HIM?"_ Ariel shouted, tears streaming down her face. She couldn't believe how her father had spoken to Harry, a boy he knew had been abused his entire life.

Snape ignored her and threw her onto the couch. He leaned over her, placing his hand of the armrest of the seat, blocking her escape. Bending down so he was face to face with her, he gritted his teeth. Ariel sank backwards into the cushion. His demeanor the day Ariel had stormed out of class was calm compared to this.

"You will listen to me." He whispered menacingly. She glared at him but couldn't help as a shiver rocked though her body. "Your little stunt today could have caused a _host_ of problems. If it had not been for Dumbledore, the entire bloody Ministry would be after you right now. You lied to me, snuck out of the house, and threw me into a complete panic. The levels of your deceitfulness today know no limits."

She didn't hear a word he said. "How could you." She whispered. His eyes filled with pain for a moment, before they were replaced with rage.

"He could not know about your visions, Ariel." He snarled, grabbing the girls arm.

"Severus."

Ariel hadn't even seen Dumbledore in the room. Had he been at the playground? Her cheeks flushed red in embarrassment, Snape had mentioned that Dumbledore placed a tracking spell on her. She had deliberately disobeyed his orders regarding apparation, when the headmaster had trusted her. Hanging her head in shame, she felt her eyes burning with tears. Seeing Harry today had been a bad move, although she didn't regret it.

Even though she'd only had a couple of minutes with him, she felt like she'd known him forever. There was something so familiar in those large, green eyes. Something she yearned for, but she couldn't put her finger on it. A sense of familiarity, of safety, but there had definitely been a connection. He'd been denied the knowledge of the wizarding world, of his past, and what people expected for his future, and had taken it all very well. Part of her felt guilty for taking away his ignorance. Harry would have to face the entire wizarding world for the first time in his life when he started Hogwarts; a place he didn't even know _existed _up until a few moments ago.

Still glaring at the floor, Ariel felt Snape relinquish the hold on her arm and turn to face Dumbledore.

"You cannot blame her for being concerned, Severus."

"For being _concerned_?" Snape looked incredulous. "Albus, she-"

"You're being too harsh, my friend." Dumbledore said kindly, taking a step towards the man.

"If I wanted advice on parenting, I'd ask for it." Snape snarled, and turned his attention back to his daughter. "Your room. _Now_." He hissed, removing his arm from the couch and stepping back.

Avoiding his glare, Ariel shakily made her way to her bedroom, feeling Snape's glower boring into the back of her head. Part of her was surprised he had let her go so quickly. She had been expecting more yelling.

Why had he been so cruel to Harry?

She felt the blood rush to her face in anger. He'd known the boy had been abused, Dumbledore had confirmed it. "'_He can't know_' _my arse." _Ariel thought bitterly. Snape had spoken to him like he was an old enemy or something.

She lay down on her bed and listened to the argument unfolding in the other room.

"You can't expect me to let her get away with that. She could have-"

"She simply went to go and see her brother, Severus. While of course, I don't approve it either, I would have liked to have waited for them to meet at Hogwarts, I knew she might attempt something like this. Which is why I placed the tracking spell on her. This is my fault."

"_You're damn right this is your fault_. Why, in Merlin's name, would you teach her to apparate? She's too young, Albus. What were you thinking? How could you not tell me?"

"I knew you wouldn't approve."

"And yet you decided to go through with it anyway?"

"I have my reasons, Severus."

"Which you have yet to reveal, _Albus_."

There was brief silence because Dumbledore spoke. Ariel strained to hear what he was saying.

"The sooner she learns it, the better. If she ever finds herself in a… difficult situation, I want her to be able to take care of herself."

"WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?" Snape exploded, and Ariel heard no more. Dumbledore must have put up a silencing spell.

She felt like an idiot. She'd betrayed Dumbledore's trust, and Snape's. Merlin, that would take wonders to gain back. He wasn't going to let her out his sight for the rest of the summer, groaning at the realization. It had been a really bad plan.

The bedroom door swung open, revealing Snape, who looked ready to strike at any moment.

"Out."

She slowly walked back into the living room, where Dumbledore had made himself comfortable in Snape's favorite armchair. He gave Ariel a reassuring smile as Snape took his place next to him.

"I'm not angry with you, Ariel, although I wish you hadn't visited your brother today."

Snape rolled his eyes.

"I'm sorry." She looked at her father and Dumbledore, "It was a completely irresponsible thing of me to do. You trusted me, and I took advantage of what you taught me." She felt like she was on the verge of tears again, but she forced herself not to cry.

"You're forgiven child." Dumbledore said quietly, and Snape sighed.

"But I do wonder, how _did_ you apparate to Harry's? You've never been there before, correct?"

"No, sir. I remembered the place in my visions, and saw the address on a magazine. I thought it wouldn't hurt to try."

Dumbledore was giving her that proud look again, while Snape curled his lip. Ariel gulped.

"Go sit down for dinner, I'll join you in a moment."

She nodded and wondered when her dad had cooked in the midst of all this. Walking into the kitchen, she found a bowl of spaghetti sitting on the counter. "_He probably used that premade sauce he always sworn he'd never use_" Ariel smirked to herself. She grabbed two plates, set the table, and then took her seat.

Snape entered a moment later, without Dumbledore.

"Is the headmaster joining us for dinner?"

"Not tonight."

"Oh." Ariel was disappointed. She wasn't looking forward to this dinner alone with Snape.

Father and daughter ate in silence for a while before Ariel couldn't take it anymore.

Putting her fork down, she sighed. "Are you still angry?"

"What do you think?"

"You're going to hold a grudge? I apologized already, it was a stupid thing to do, but I had to see him."

"You _had _to see him? Did some overwhelming need for Mr. Potter suddenly overtake you? Did you find yourself no longer in control of your magic, and involuntarily apparate there?"

"I've spent my entire life not knowing him. Then I start having visions of him being abused. I needed to go and see him myself."

"Were Dumbledore and McGonagall's assurances that the 'abuse' would be taken care of not enough?"

"That's not what I meant. And you could have been nicer to him." She finally snapped, glaring at Snape.

His eyes narrowed in response. "Watch your cheek, girl. You're in enough trouble as it is. As for my tone towards your brother, your momentary lapse of judgment kept you from remembering that he was not to know that we knew of his abuse. "

"Why are you being so difficult? I feel horrible, why do you always feel the need to add onto it?"

"I have more than a good reason to be angry with you." Snape stood up and leaned forward.

Ariel did the same, to Snape's surprise. "And I had more than a good reason to go and see my brother."

"You're apologizing one minute and defending yourself the next. _Pick one_."

"I apologize for disobeying and abusing Dumbledore's trust, but I don't regret seeing Harry." She shot back coldly.

"Well, I guess you can have your cake and eat it, too."

Ariel gritted her teeth. "_What's that supposed to mean_."

"You think you can just apparate somewhere, to see someone you've been specifically kept apart from for _both _your safety, and expect me to just be fine with it _because 'you just wanted to check on him_.'" Snape was reaching his boiling point, Ariel could tell.

She didn't care.

"Risking my safety was worth it, knowing Harry's alright."

Snape's face was becoming discolored, and he exploded.

"DO YOU HAVE _ANY_ IDEA WHAT YOU PUT ME THROUGH? I WAS READY TO GO TO HELL AND BACK IN SEARCH FOR YOU. THE SECOND THOSE WARDS WENT OFF, I THOUGHT YOU'D BEEN KIDNAPPED BY SOME ROGUE DEATH EATER. THIS ISN'T ABOUT YOU APPARTING OR BETRAYING DUMBLEDORE'S TRUST, THIS IS ABOUT SENDING SOMEONE WHO LOVES YOU MORE THAN ANYTHING INTO A FULL BLOWN PANIC."

Ariel blinked. Had she heard him correctly? Did he just say that he _loved_ her? I mean, there had always been an obvious understanding that they cared about one another, but Snape wasn't one to blurt out "I love you" on a daily basis. She didn't think he'd ever even said it before, she certainly hadn't. It was an unspoken truth. Her eyes brimmed with tears once again while Snape took a breath to stabilize himself. She hadn't even thought about what Snape would have done if Ariel just _left_, besides being angry.

Before she even realized what she was doing, she was in her father's arms, holding onto him like her life depended on it.

"I'm so sorry." She whispered fiercely.

She knew Snape was too stunned to do anything for a moment, but hugged him tighter when she felt his arms finally wrap around her.

"Oh, _child_."

APHPSSAPHPSSAPHPSSAPHPSS

_Two weeks later…_

Ariel leaped out of bed and threw on her clothes, grinning ear to ear.

Today was the day. Harry was coming to Hogwarts. She was _finally _going to be officially reunited with him. Snape had refused to tell her who was taking him to get his supplies, although she'd begged for them to take him. He'd vehemently refused. There was always a tone of dislike whenever Harry was brought up that Ariel couldn't understand. She wondered if there was still resentment about the apparating incident.

Bolting into the kitchen, she grabbed the piece of toast sitting on her plate and held it in her mouth while trying to tie her other shoe.

Snape raised an amused eyebrow and closed his newspaper.

"Excited, are we?" he asked sarcastically.

Ariel didn't notice his tone and gave him a muffled "Mhm.", scarfing down her breakfast.

_Wack. _Snape's newspaper hit the table, and Ariel paused, looking up.

"I won't have you eating like an animal due to your anticipation. Sit up, and eat like a human being please."

Sitting up straighter, Ariel began running her fingers through her knotty hair.

"What time are we leaving?"

"Eight o'clock."

"Can we get there earlier? I want to make sure I see him before we get on the train."

Snape began to say something, but stopped himself. "Very well."

Jumping up, Ariel threw her plate into the sink and raced back to her room, not noticing her dad wince at the loud sound the china made colliding with the steel.

Throwing the last of her belongings into her trunk, Snape and Ariel left for platform nine and three quarters.

"Will you stop this nonsense?" Snape hissed as Ariel frantically began looking through the crowd for her brother. She was dragging him around the station, not bothering to stop for a single moment. Ariel knew Snape hated being around the parents, and tried to ignore the dirty looks people were giving them both. He squeezed her arm a bit too tightly in order to gain her attention.

Ignoring him, she pulled Snape through the throng of people.

"_Ariel_-"

"There!" she cried, running to her right. Snape sighed. The girl was going to drive him mad.

To Ariel's surprise, she found Harry with the Weasleys.

Fred and George pulled her into a tight hug as soon as they saw her, asking her a million questions.

"Where the bloody hell-"

"Have you been?"

"We've-"

"Been writing-"

"All summer!"

"I'm sorry guys." She said, breathless. After visiting Harry, Snape had put her on lockdown. She spent the rest of the summer by his side in the basement, brewing potions. As part of her punishment, she wasn't allowed to reply to any of Fred, George, or Damon's letters. The two redheads gave her a playful glower.

She'd barely heard them, she was too busy smiling at Harry, who was grinning right back.

"Hey Harry."

"Hi." His smirked quickly disappeared when Ariel noticed someone standing behind her.

Snape looked beside himself. "I told you to stop running around." He mumbled venomously into her ear.

"Sorry." She whispered, walking towards her brother. Harry was wearing jeans with a plain black t-shirt; this was the best Ariel had ever seen him dressed. Hair crazy as ever, Ariel snorted as Harry attempted to fix it. His emerald eyes glittered in excitement, although there was a hint of suspicion as he glanced at the dark haired man behind his sister.

She noticed a small, red headed boy standing next to Harry.

"You must be Ron, Fred and George have told me all about you." She smiled, holding out her hand.

Ron returned the smile and shook her hand, "The pleasure's all mine. Fred and George say you're brilliant."

"I bet they did." Fred and George exchanged grins. "How'd you guys find Harry?"

"He was having a bit of trouble finding the platform." Mrs. Weasley said, giving Harry a kind smile. Ariel laughed as Harry grinned sheepishly back.

Ariel was about to reply when yet another red head emerged from the crowd. "Mum! C'mon! Let's go!" Percy Weasley yelled impatiently.

Fred and George rolled their eyes as Mrs. Weasley yelled "Coming!" The boys obediently followed, leaving Harry, Ariel and Snape by the wall.

Turning back to Snape, who had his arms crossed, Ariel cleared her throat.

"So, uh, you two haven't officially met, so, Harry this is my dad." Ariel grinned, pushing Harry forward. "He's also the potions professor at school, and head of Slytherin house."

Harry looked up at the hooked-nose man. "It's a pleasure, sir." He said uncertainly.

"Likewise, Mr. Potter." Snape sneered. Ariel shot him a dark look. What was his deal?

The train whistled in the background, and Snape uncrossed his arms. "It's time for you to board."

"I'll meet you on the train, Harry. Save me a seat."

Harry nodded, gave another uncertain look towards Snape, and made his way towards the Hogwarts Express.

Sighing, Snape kneeled down and Ariel threw herself into his arms. "I wish you'd be nicer to him." She said, her voice muffled.

"Behave." He said gently, ignoring her comment. She nodded into his robes.

Giving him one last look, she boarded the train.

APHPSSAPHPSSAPHPSSAPHPSSAPHPSS

"So you wanna tell me again why you never bloody wrote?" Fred asked as he popped another chocolate frog into his mouth. Harry was staring at him, completely mesmerized by the magical candy.

"I got into a bit of trouble." She smirked, winking at her brother. He grinned, and sorted through a bunch of chocolate frog cards, stopping on Dumbledore's.

The car had become a little too crowded for Ariel's taste. She was by the window, next to Harry and then Ron. Fred and George sat opposite them. She hadn't seen Damon, and felt a twinge of guilt; he probably thought she'd forgotten about him.

"What kinda trouble?" George asked eagerly, snatching a Cauldron Cake from Ron.

"_HEY!"_

Ariel ignored him and glanced towards the compartment door. "Have you seen Damon? I wasn't able to write to him this summer. I hope he's not angry…" she bit her lip.

"Nah, I saw him before. He was helping his cousin onto the train." Fred rolled his eyes. "The little imp is a carbon copy of bloody Lucius. Bet he's just like him."

Someone was standing outside the compartment door, and Ariel's head snapped up. To her disappointment, it wasn't Damon. It was a boy they had seen earlier, asking about a lost toad. He had a girl with bushy brown hair with him this time.

"Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one," the girl said, in a bossy sort of tone.

"We already told you, we haven't seen it." Ron said, opening another package of Cauldron Cakes.

The girl wasn't listening anymore; she was staring at Ariel and Harry. "Are you-"

"Yes." Ariel said, sighing. This was never fun.

"I'm Hermione Granger. I know all about you, of course, I got a few extra books for background reading, and you're in Modern Magical History and The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century."

Harry stared, while Ariel tried very hard not to roll her eyes.

"What house are you in, Ariel?" Hermione asked, her eyes brightening. Fred and George looked like they were not to laugh, while Ron looked taken aback by the first year's forwardness.

"Gryffindor. We all are." She motioned to Fred and George.

"What about you Harry? Where do you want to be sorted?"

"Uh, I hadn't really thought about it, but Gryffindor would be nice." Harry said, looking at Ariel, grinning. She was surprised, had she mentioned houses when she saw Harry?

"I hope I'm in Gryffindor," the Hermione girl rambled, "It sounds by far the best; I hear Dumbledore himself was in it, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad... Anyway, we'd better go and look for Neville's toad. You guys had better change, you know, I expect we'll be there soon." And with that, she left, taking the toadless boy with her.

Ron looked a little miffed that the girl hadn't asked him where he'd wanted to be placed, and the twins burst into hysterics.

After explaining Quidditch to Harry, the group was once again interrupted by a group of three first year boys opening their compartment door.

"Is it true?" said a pale boy with white blond boy. He looked like he was leading the trio. "They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter and Ariel Potter are in this compartment. So it's you, is it?"

"Yes," said Harry. Ariel was looking intently at the blond boy.

"Oh, this is Crabbe and this is Goyle," said the pale boy carelessly motioning to the beefy boys behind him, "And my name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."

_This_ was Draco Malfoy?

Ron gave a slight cough, and Draco Malfoy looked at him.

"Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford." He turned back to Harry. "You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."He held out his hand to shake Harry's, but Harry didn't take it.

The three Weasley boy's faces were turning as red as their hair. Ariel stood up, and Draco gave her an amused look. Harry was still staring at Malfoy.

"I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks," Harry said coolly.

Draco Malfoy didn't go red, but a pink tinge appeared in his pale cheeks."I'd be careful if I were you, Potter," he said slowly. "Unless you're a bit politer you'll go the same way as your parents. They didn't know what was good for them, either. You hang around with riffraff like the Weasleys and that Hagrid, and it'll rub off on you."

Everyone was standing now, the tension thick. "Get out of her, Malfoy." Ariel snarled, putting a hand on Harry's shoulder, her other hand reaching for her wand.

Malfoy raised an eyebrow. "And whatever will Professor Snape say if you hex a defenseless first year?" The two boys behind him snickered.

"Oh, I'll do far worse than hex you if you say another word against my parents, you little brat." Ariel whispered menacingly.

Draco got the message and took a step back, giving Harry one last glare before slamming the compartment door shut.

Fred said a few choice words that would have caused Snape to take Ariel over his knee if she'd ever said them in his presence.

A voice suddenly echoed through the train. "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."

Harry shot Ariel a nervous look, wringing his hands in his shirt.

"You'll be fine, Harry. Don't worry." Ariel gave him a small, reassuring hug.

As the student filled the corridors of the train, Ariel heard a familiar voice yelling over the clamor of students.

"All firs' years, come with me!" Hagrid yelled. Harry quickly turned to Ariel.

"I'll see you at Gryffindor table at the feast." Ariel smiled.

"You're not coming with me?"

"No, only first years go in the boats. Everyone else takes the path."

"Oh." Harry looked disappointed.

"Stay with Ron, I'll see you later." She promised, and took off in search of Damon.

Searching through the crowd, she finally found the Malfoys walking together. Damon looked angry, and pushed Draco ahead of him.

"You're a bloody idiot, you know that Draco?"

"Shut up, Damon."

"Very nice comeback." Damon rolled his eyes. "Go run off with the two meat heads that you call friends."

Draco shot Damon a murderous look before storming off with his two bodyguards. Ariel took a hesitant step towards him.

"I have to admit, I'm not a fan of your cousin either."

Damon whirled around and broke into a grin. Ariel sighed with relief. "Way to throw your chosen one responsibilities to the wind." He teased, and Ariel laughed.

"I'm sorry about that. I got into a bit of trouble with my dad this summer." She rolled her eyes, and Damon laughed.

"Spill. I can't wait to hear this."

They began to walk the trail to Hogwarts, and Ariel filled him in on everything that happened. He found it very amusing that Ariel had thrown Snape into such a panic.

"I can't even begin to tell you the excitement over Harry and you being at Hogwarts. Nobody would shut up about it on the train."

"Not even Draco, apparently." She muttered.

Damon sighed. "I'm sorry about that. He idolizes my uncle, you can't blame him for everything he says. He's simply parroting his father."

They had reached the doors to the school at this point, and Ariel gave her friend a small smile. "I'll see you later, Slytherin."

"Later, Golden Girl."

Rolling her eyes, she made her way to Gryffindor table and sat down next to Fred and George.

"Fingers crossed for the other Potter!" George yelled to the table, and the rest of the Gryffindors cheered in response. Ariel grinned and glanced up the staff table.

Professor Quirrell was talking to Snape, who looked rather bored, as always. He caught Ariel looking at him and gave her a slight nod, turning his attention back to Quirrell.

The double doors of the Great Hall then opened, producing McGonagall and a large line of first years. Harry was standing behind a sandy-haired boy, looking around in awe, taking in the hall. He spotted Ariel and gave her a wave, and she smiled back.

The sorting hat sang its song, and the ceremony began.

"Abbott, Hannah!"

Ariel barely paid attention to the names, only clapping and cheering when a Gryffindor was called. The Hermione girl had been sorted into her house, and Fred snickered next to her. Ariel was staring at Harry, who looked very nervous. Thinking back to last year, she smiled. She'd been a panicky wreck, praying she wouldn't be put in Slytherin, but dreading her father's resentment. It had been so silly…

"Potter, Harry!"

Her head snapped up, and she smiled encouraging as Harry took his seat. The hat sat on his head for a moment before calling "GRYFFINDOR."

The Gryffindor table went ballistic, screaming and cheering as Harry hurried over. He was beaming.

"Congrats!" Ariel squealed as Fred and George chanted "We got Potter! We got Potter!"

"Thanks." Harry said, looking very relieved. Percy had come over to shake his hand. Dumbledore held up his hands in order to silence the rest of the hall, and the sorting continued.

"C'mon Ron!" Harry whispered as his new friend's name was called. The boy looked green and he sat down in the chair.

"GRYFFINDOR."

"Well done, Ronniekins." Fred whistled as his brother sat down. Ariel and Harry giggled as Ron shot the twins a dark look, but he still looked joyful. His skin was returning to a normal shade.

Dumbledore stood up "Welcome," he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are; Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!"

He sat back down. Everybody clapped and cheered. Ariel saw Snape roll his eyes at the headmaster as plates of food appeared on the tables. Harry's eyes widened in delight, and the students began to pile food onto their golden plates.

Halfway through the meal, Ariel noticed Harry studying the staff table.

"Is Dumbledore a bit… mad?"

She laughed. "Mad? He's absolutely brilliant, a genius. But, yes he is a bit mad."

"And who's that?" Harry motioned to Quirrell, who was wearing a large, brightly colored turban. He was still talking to Snape.

"Professor, Quirrell. He teaches defense against the dark arts. From what I've heard, he was attacked by vampires a while back. Left him a nervous wreck."

"And, uh, Professor Snape? You said he teaches potions?"

"Yeah." Ariel noticed Harry starting at Snape intently. Her father suddenly turned sharply and glared at Harry.

"Ow!" Harry's hand shot up to his forehead.

"What is it?"

"N-nothing."

Ariel was about to argue when Dumbledore stood up.

"Ahern, just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you. First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well."

Dumbledore's twinkling eyes flashed in the direction of the Weasley twins. Ariel laughed.

"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors. Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch. And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."

Harry chuckled, while Ariel shot Snape a questioning look. He quickly glanced at her, but ignored her gaze. What had that glare been about? And _die a very painful death_? What was in the third-corridor?

"Is he serious?" Harry asked, noticing the confusion on everyone's faces, mostly Ariel's.

"He must be. But it's not like him to not give a reason." Ariel frowned. She'd have to ask Snape about it later.

She barely heard the students explode into the school song. Harry was laughing at Fred and George, who were singing the tune to a funeral march. Ariel soon found herself laughing, tears forming in her eyes.

Dumbledore dismissed the students, and Ariel followed Harry to Gryffindor tower. She stayed for McGonagall's first year speech, and turned to Harry as prefects began yelling for first years to follow them.

"I sleep in the dungeons with Snape some nights, but I'm gonna try and alternate this year so I'm here with you. But tonight I want to go and ask Snape what's going on with the third floor corridor." _And what that glare was about, _she thought to herself.

Harry nodded. "Will you let me know if you find out?"

"Of course."

"C'mon Harry!" Ron yelled from somewhere, and Harry turned.

"I'll see you at breakfast tomorrow, alright?" Ariel asked.

Harry nodded. "Goodnight, Potter." He smirked, imitating Draco Malfoy, and Ariel laughed and she left the tower.

Snape wasn't in his office yet when Ariel arrived, plopping onto the leather couch in front of the fire. She'd overheard several students talking about a Gringotts break-in on the train, and had seen it on the newspapers her dad had been reading, although he'd avoided talking about the subject. Coincidentally, the break-in had happened on Harry's birthday. Actually, was that coincidental? She wondered when Harry had gone the Diagon Alley for his supplies, she'd be sure to ask him tomorrow. Now there was something life threatening on the third floor corridor? Maybe-

Ariel jumped as the door flew open, and Snape stepped inside. Snape raised an eyebrow as he caught sight of her.

"I assumed you'd be staying in Gryffindor tower tonight, with your brother?"

"I wanted to talk to you." She said, stepping around the couch. "What was Dumbledore's announcement about? What's going on?"

Crossing his arms, Snape frowned. "That's none of your concern, Ariel."

"But-"

"But nothing. We're not discussing this." He wasn't going to budge, at least not tonight. Ariel sighed, frustrated.

"Well, then can you at least tell me what that glare was about at dinner?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"The look you gave Harry, what was that about?" Ariel glared at Snape, imitating his current pose.

Snape was silent for a moment. Getting more annoyed by the moment, Ariel began tapping her foot.

"Stop that infernal noise at once."

"Answer the question."

"Do not command me." Snape snapped, "I did not _glare _at your brother, Ariel."

"Yes you did, you-"

"_Enough." _He silenced her with a look. "Go get ready for bed."

Ariel felt like screaming. Why wasn't he giving her answers? Why was he lying about being nasty towards Harry? Nothing was adding up.

She didn't bother saying goodnight to her father as she climbed into bed. Locking her door, she fell into a fitful sleep.


	12. Chapter 12

Severus Snape was in a fouler mood than usual, and it was only the first week of term.

Rumors began floating throughout the castle of the potion master's temper, so much so that even his Slytherins began parting like the Red Sea whenever he walked by. No one had seen Snape in such a ghastly disposition before, not even the teachers. Only Dumbledore had cheerily wished him a "Good morning, Severus!" before breakfast at the start of every day, receiving a look that caused Quirrell to quake in his seat. No, Snape was not his usual snarky, sullen self.

All because of Harry Potter. The boy was his father reincarnate, and Snape loathed him for it.

He knew he was being unreasonable. The boy had known nothing but a lifetime of abuse. This had horrified Snape, although he'd never admitted it. Snape had known abuse as a child, his blessed father had seen to that. He'd ended it when he'd come home for his sixth year. Tobias Snape had been the one cowering in terror for the first time in his life. That was when Snape realized that the dark arts where his calling, watching someone he hated tremble and beg him for their life…

But that man was gone.

At this rate, Ariel was going to slip away. Damn the boy.

He couldn't let that happen. The James Potter clone's true colors would show, he was sure of it. Being the savior of the wizarding world and all, that swelled head was bound to make an appearance. But he could already tell Ariel would have none of that. She'd been persistent in making sure Harry was safe and being treated well, _especially _by her father. Snape knew he had to try and be decent for Ariel's sake, but I was _so _hard when the brat looked _exactly like James…_

Arguing with himself back and forth after that Friday, he decided he would be civilized to Potter. For Ariel's sake; that was it. He'd simply speak to him when need be, and ignore him the rest of the time. Potter had made friends, and the teachers liked him enough, surely Snape's lack of interest wouldn't kill him? Maybe that's exactly what he needed, someone who wouldn't gawk at him.

He flew into a classroom full of first years as a hush fell over the students. Snape smirked to himself and began roll call, pausing slightly at Potter's name. After giving the dunderheads what he hoped was an intimidating look, he began his speech.

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion making. As there is little foolish wand waving in here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate-"

He stopped suddenly and curled his lips. The Potter brat wasn't paying attention. Instead, he was writing on a piece of parchment, seemingly ignoring every word Snape was saying. "_There it is_" he thought to himself.

"Potter!" he barked, "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

The boy looked up, and glanced confusingly at Ronald Weasley, who returned the look. Hermione Granger's hand shot up and Snape held back the urge to roll his eyes.

"I don't know, sir."

"Tut, tut, fame clearly isn't everything." Snape smirked. Malfoy cackled in the back.

Potter was glaring, and Snape felt himself glaring right back at the little snot.

"Let's try again, Potter. Where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"

"I don't know, sir."

"What is the difference, _Potter," _he sent a nasty glower at Granger, whose hand was reaching towards the ceiling, "between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

"I don't know, sir." Harry said quietly. "I think Hermione does, though, why don't you try her?"

_That was it_. "Sit down," he snapped at Hermione. "For your information, Potter, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons. As for monkshood and wolfsbane, they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite. Well? Why aren't you all copying that down?"

There was a sudden rummaging for quills and parchment. Over the noise, Snape said, "And a point will be taken from Gryffindor House for your cheek, Potter."

He couldn't have helped it even if he tried. Potter had made it too easy.

The rest of the potion's class had gone horribly, as expected. Neville Longbottom had blown up a cauldron, and Snape took this opportunity to cut Potter down another couple of notches.

"Potter, why didn't you tell him not to add the quills? Thought he'd make you look good if he got it wrong, did you? That's another point you've lost for Gryffindor."

Out of the corner of his eye, Snape saw Potter ball his fists and Weasley mutter something as the potions master walked away. The nerve of the brat; arrogant, disrespectful, just like his father. Snape felt his hatred burning hot against the boy. Ariel was going to give him hell for this.

Snape didn't see Ariel for almost a week outside of potions and meals. She was livid with him, and Snape couldn't help feeling guilty. Not for being unfair to Potter, the brat had warranted it, but Ariel had a way of making him feel bad whenever he was angry. His punishment was always silence and he hated it.

It wasn't until almost a week later that he spotted Potter and Malfoy flying, Madam Hooch nowhere in sight. Eager to get revenge for his daughter's silence, Snape stopped himself before proceeding. If he was going to get anywhere with Ariel, he would have to punish Malfoy and Potter _equally_, although he could tell it was Malfoy who instigating.

"Catch it if you can, then!" Malfoy yelled, and threw an orb shaped object at the wall. Potter than preceded to streak towards the castle partition, to Snape's horror, and caught the object before diving downwards and landing safety on the ground.

"HARRY POTTER." McGonagall's voice cut through the first year's applause like a knife, and Snape smirked. Minerva wouldn't let him get away with a stunt like that, even if his intentions were noble. No, what was he thinking? Potter had been a complete idiot, the bloody boy was lucky he hadn't broken his neck!

It wasn't until dinner that evening that Snape overhead Potter's "_punishment_."

"Oh, yes, Potter is going to make a brilliant seeker." McGonagall was bragging to Hagrid. "I just hope that Wood-"

Snape choked on his pumpkin juice, causing most of the staff table and several students to stare at him amusingly.

"_You did what!?"_

McGonagall smirked. "I made Harry Potter the Gryffindor seeker. He's absolutely brilliant on a broom-"

"_That's_ the punishment you awarded him? The dunderhead almost breaks his neck and you make him the Gryffindor _seeker?_"

"Severus, the boy is a wonder on a broom! How could I not? I bet he'll be just like his father, James was always-"

Snape had stopped listening after the word "father" and began growling to himself. Of course McGonagall would bend the rules for the boy. The idiot had almost gotten himself killed, and he was given a title any first year Quidditch fanatic would have killed for. Bloody Gryffindors.

He quickly glanced over at the Gryffindor table and saw Ariel laughing. Potter looked giddy with excitement, he was probably telling her about what had transpired during flying lessons. "_I almost fell to my death, you should have seen me! I was brilliant!"_

Ariel gave him a quick look but turned her attention back to her friends when she saw him looking at her. Sighing, he decided the silence had gone on for too long. He would talk to her after dinner, whether she liked to or not.

APHPSSAPHPSSAPHPSSAPHPSS

"Seeker!" Ariel exclaimed when Harry told her the news, "But how? First years aren't allowed to have a broom, let alone play Quidditch!"

"I honestly don't know." Harry admitted. "I thought for sure I was going to be expelled, but then she called Wood in and started talking about Quidditch. No punishment at all!"

"He was brilliant." Ron jumped in, shoving a piece of cold pie into his mouth.

"You must be the youngest house player in about a century." Fred grinned, grabbing the rest of Ron's pie and handing it to George.

"_FRED!"_

"I tell you, we're going to win that Quidditch cup for sure this year." George crowed, finishing Ron's pie, "We haven't won since Charlie left, but this year's team is going to be brilliant. You must be good, Harry, Wood was almost skipping when he told us."

"Anyway, we've gotta go, Lee Jordan reckons he found a new secret passageway out of the school." Fred stood up, "We'll see you later."

No sooner had they the twins left, they were replaced with someone far less welcome.

"Tell your sister that you're going back home to the Muggles yet, Potter?" Malfoy sneered.

"You're a lot braver now that you're back on the ground and have your little friends." said Harry coolly.

"I'd take you anytime on my own," said Malfoy, "Tonight if you want, Wizard's Duel. Wand's only. You _have _heard of a Wizard's Duel before, haven't you Potter?"

"Of course he has." Ariel snapped, glaring at Malfoy viciously, "I'm his second. Who's yours?"

Malfoy turned to Crabbe and Goyle, sizing them up. "Crabbe." he finally decided, "The trophy room at midnight, it's always unlocked."

As they walked away, Harry spun around to Ariel.

"What is a wizard's duel? And why are you my second?"

"There's a second to take your place, ya know, in case you die." Ron explained, looking miffed Ariel had taken the position, "But people only die in real duels. They most you and Malfoy can do is send sparks flying at each other."

"Excuse me." a familiar, bossy tone said.

Hermione Granger was standing in front of the trio, arms crossed.

"I couldn't help overhearing what you were saying to Malfoy, and-"

"I don't remember asking for your opinion." Ron muttered.

"-and you mustn't go wandering the school at night, think of the points you'll lose for Gryffindor, it's rather selfish of you."

"It's really none of your business." Harry said.

The three Gryffindors then stood up to make their way out of the Great Hall, leaving the bushy haired girl at the table.

"I'm going to go let Damon know." Ariel whispered to them, waving to her friend at the Slytherin table.

"Are you sure you wanna do that? I mean, there's already three of us going, it'll just raise the chances of us getting caught-" Ron began, but Ariel was already making her way towards the dark haired boy.

"You're cousin just challenged my brother to a duel tonight, I'm his second." Ariel said quietly, glancing up at the staff table. Snape was making his way towards them to her surprise. _Oh, brilliant…_

"Do you want me to say something to him? I'll convince him not to-"

"No. We'll go, but I wanted you to come. Trophy room. Midnight."

"Alright." Damon said uncertainly, glancing behind Ariel.

"Miss. Potter." a voice drawled, and she took a deep breath.

Damon mumbled a "_see you"_ and walked away, leaving father and daughter.

"I would like to speak to you in my office."

"Right now?"

Snape raised an eyebrow. "Is something else demanding your attention at the moment?"

Ariel considered lying, and sighed. "No, sir."

"Then yes, right now."

She silently followed her father down to the dungeons and crossed her arms as he took his seat as his desk.

It was very quiet for a moment, besides the sound of the fire roaring.

"I could not help notice your… _absence_ lately. Is there a reason for that?" Snape asked, although he sounded like he already knew the answer.

Eyes narrowed, Ariel huffed. "I shouldn't have to explain my silence towards you, it should be pretty obvious."

"Then I'm assuming it has to do with your brother's first potion's lesson? Am I correct?"

She simply glowered at him. Snape leaned forward in his seat, his face unreadable. "Am I correct, Miss. Potter?"

"Yes." she hissed.

"The boy's cheek couldn't be left unchecked. I took away two points, that's hardly a punishment."

"It was unfair."

"So he says."

"Says everyone in the class."

"You mean the _Gryffindors_."

"Yes, your Slytherins wouldn't dare speak a word against you." she snapped.

To her surprise, he didn't reprimand her. "He was not paying attention to the lesson, and then proceeded to talk back when chastised."

"He was talking _notes_-"

"That's not the point."

"Then what is the point, dad? I don't understand why you don't like him. He hasn't done anything to you-"

"That's also beside the point. Ariel, I have already explained to you that I have a reputation to uphold-"

"You raised one of the two of us. Your reputation is already a little questionable."

"Ariel-"

"I have to go." she cut him off, "I have a lot of homework to do. Goodnight, _professor." _

She couldn't make herself look at him as she left the room, but felt tears welling up. Usually it was Snape who was angry with her. It was rather odd for the positions to be switched, and she didn't like it. Gryffindor Tower was brilliant and all, but she missed her dad. However, she wasn't going to budge until Snape promised to start treating Harry decently. Or at least told her what the problem was. Right now, he just looked like a complete git.

Entering the tower, she noticed that the common room was mostly empty. It was already ten, still another two hours until she had to meet Malfoy. Laying down on her bed, she fought to keep her eyes open. She had to go to this duel; she didn't want to let her brother down. No way was he facing Malfoy without her.

At half past eleven, she heard scuffling in the common room, and rose to find Harry, Ron, and Hermione staring each other down.

"Hermione." Ariel groaned, "Go back to bed. Mind your business for once."

"C'mon. We gotta go." Ron motioned to the siblings and he climbed through the portrait.

The bloody know-it-all was persistent. "Don't you care about Gryffindor at _all_?" Hermione had climbed through the frame with them, "Do you only care about yourselves?"

"Go away." Ron snapped.

"Fine, but don't complain when you're on the way home tomorrow." Hermione turned to return to the common room, but to her horror, found that the portrait was shut, and the Fat Lady gone.

"What am I going to do?" Hermione said shrilly.

"That's your problem." Ariel said, already heading down the corridor.

They hadn't reached the ended of the hallway before Hermione caught up with them.

"I'm coming with you."

"You are not." Ron spun around.

"Do you really think I'm just going to sit here and wait for Filch to see me? If he does come, you three can explain-"

"You have some nerve-"

"Shut up!" Harry whispered, "I hear something!"

Someone was making their way towards them in the dark.

"Do you think its Filch, or Ms. Norris?" Hermione grabbed onto Ariel's arm.

Ariel shook her off and took a step forward.

"_Lumos_." a boy's voice said, and Damon appeared in front of them.

They breathed a sigh of relief, and Damon grinned. "So, where's the show?"

"You invited _him_?" Hermione moaned and Ariel shot her glare.

"Let's go." Harry said, and the five of them made their way to the trophy room, expecting to find Filch or his cat around every corner. To their relief, they actually made it in time, undetected.

Malfoy and Crabbe weren't there yet. The group stood quietly as the minutes crept by.

"Maybe he chickened out." Ron whispered, just as another voice floated from the corridor.

"Sniff around, my sweet, they might be lurking in a corner."

Hermione's eyes widened, and Ariel quickly looked around. She waved madly for the group to follow her. They scurried through the door and whirled around the corner just as Filch entered the trophy room.

"Probably hiding…"

"This way!" Damon mouthed, leading them down a corridor filled with armor. Filch was getting closer as the group, petrified, tried to make their way through the corridor as quickly as possible.

Suddenly, Ron tripped, and three or four suits of armor came tumbling down.

"Bloody hell, Ron-"

"RUN!" Ariel shrieked, and they sprinted down the gallery. Ariel and Harry were in the lead, whipping around corner to corner, not knowing where they were going. They ended up in their Charms classroom, which was miles from where they'd been.

"I… knew… it…" Hermione was panting.

"Malfoy was never bloody coming." Ariel snarled. She had risked all that for the little brat to snitch to Filch. She was going to kill him.

"We've got to get back to our dorms, _now_." Ron said, peeking out the door.

They hadn't taken two steps before they were met with Peeves.

"Ah, what's this? Firsties out of bed?" the ghost cackled.

"Aw c'mon Peeves, let us through." Damon groaned.

"Should I get Filch?" Peeves mused, "Hm, what to do, what to do?"

"Get out of the way." Ron took a swipe at Peeves. Bad move.

"STUDENTS OUT OF BED, STUDENTS OUT OF BED." the apparition bellowed, and the children took off for their lives.

They ran smack into a locked door at the end of the hall, and Ron moaned.

"We're doomed, this is it-"

"Move!" Ariel frantically pushed him aside, "Alohomora!"

The lock clicked and the door swung open. They five of them piled inside. Filch was busy screaming at Peeves, but Ariel didn't hear them.

For a moment she thought she was having another nightmare, and prayed she'd wake up to Snape telling her it was going to be alright.

But to her horror, she didn't wake up.

They were in a corridor. The third floor corridor, to be exact, face to face with a gargantuan three headed dog. It was standing on top of a large, trap door. She tugged on Damon's sleeve, and backed away, pushing Harry behind her as he gasped.

Harry scrambled for the doorknob as Hermione screamed, and they ran like bats out of hell to the Gryffindor common room. Filch much have run off too, because he was nowhere to be found.

The Fat Lady was back this time. Ariel shouted the password before she could ask where they'd been, and they fell into the common room.

It was quiet, besides the sound of their panting for a long time.

"What in Merlin's name was _that?_" Damon finally said.

"Forget _what _it was, _why _is it in the school?" Ron gasped, still panting.

"Didn't you see?" Hermione asked, still getting a hold of her breath as well.

"No?"

She glared, but Ariel interrupted. "There was a trap door; it was standing right on top of it. It's protecting something."

It was quiet again before Damon stood up. "I better go. Thanks for tonight, it was a blast." he rolled his eyes.

"I'm going to bed before you lot get me killed, or worse, expelled." Hermione muttered, making her way to the dormitories.

Ariel rolled her eyes and looked over at Harry and Ron.

"Well, it looks like we've figured out what was in the vault." Harry said quietly.

"Vault?" Ariel frowned, confused.

"When Hagrid took me to get my supplies, he stopped at Gringotts the day it was broken into. We went into a vault, and Hagrid took this package out. It was the only thing in there, and he said I couldn't tell anyone."

"What was in the package?"

"I don't know, he didn't unwrap it."

Ariel fell into a dead sleep, wondering what on earth was in the package that constituted a three headed monster.

The next day Ariel filled Damon in on what Harry had told her the night before, trying to ignore the glares the Slytherins gave her as she sat next to him.

"I must be powerful and dangerous, whatever it is." Damon said, his eyes widening, "But I wonder why it's being kept at Hogwarts?"

"Well, it's supposedly the safest place in the world. I just wonder why after all this time it was brought here."

Harry rushed over before Damon could reply. "Ariel look!" he whispered excitedly, shoving a note in her face.

Confused, she opened the letter, her eyes widening in delight. "A Nimbus Two Thousand?!" she exclaimed, and Harry shushed her.

"What?!" Damon grabbed the letter, "That's bloody brilliant Harry! Where is it?"

"In the package. I'm not to open it till we're in the common room."

"That's amazing Harry!" she grinned at his excitement.

"Will you come watch our practice today? It's the first of the season and I'd feel better if someone I knew came." he gave her his biggest smile and she laughed.

"Of course I'll be there."

"Seven o'clock. After dinner!" Harry then took off to catch up with Ron.

Damon laughed as he ran off. "He seems really happy. You can tell."

"I hope so." Ariel sighed, "He deserves it."

He gave her hand a squeeze, and she smiled at him. Noticing the time, Ariel stood up. "Off to potions." she muttered and Damon chuckled.

Fred and George waited for her at the double doors and they descended the stairs to the dungeons.

Snape's door flew open wordlessly, and the class entered. Sometimes Ariel forgot that she had class with the year ahead of her; she barely noticed when only the twins talked to her.

"We have a bit of a nasty surprise planned for ol' Snape today." Fred grinned evilly.

Ariel's eyebrows shot up. "Oh?"

"It's going to be brilliant." George was practically jumping in his seat.

"Silence." Snape yelled, glaring at the trio, who smirked at each other. After taking attendance, Snape had the students gather the supplies for Chelidonium Miniscula, something he'd taught Ariel when she was around nine.

As Ariel began adding ingredients to the potion, George quickly threw a dungbomb into the cauldron behind them, causing the potion to start bubbling violently.

"Professor Snape, I think something's wrong!" one of the girls cried, and the potions master rushed over.

Fred took this opportunity to sneak over to Snape's chair, where Ariel watched him pull out his wand and whisper a few words she didn't catch, and then quickly return to her side.

"What did you-"

"Just watch." he assured her, and George covered his mouth to keep from laughing. Snape shot them another nasty look and sat back down at his desk.

Several minutes went by before Snape was called again.

Ariel glanced out of the corner of her eye, and covered her mouth to keep from bursting into hysterics. Snape wasn't able to lift himself out of the chair; he was stuck.

Biting her tongue, she watched as he began to shake the chair, snarling under his breath. He finally reached for his wand, casting several spells, all of them unsuccessful.

The entire classroom was watching him at this point. Most of the students were stepping back, waiting for the professor's wrath.

Fred and George were suddenly very interested in their potion, while Ariel buried her nose in a textbook.

"_Weasley_."

Ariel dared not look over in fear that she wouldn't be able to keep herself from laughing.

"Yes, sir?" the twins said simultaneously.

"Undo whatever hex you've put on this chair_. Now." _Snape was barely speaking about a whisper, but the entire class took another step back.

"I don't know what you're talking about Professor." Fred said, confused. Ariel thought she might bite her tongue off.

"_Weasley-"_

"Honest, professor, we didn't do nothing!" George protested.

Dead silence filled the dungeons for several minutes until Snape spoke again.

"You are all dismissed, except you, Miss. Potter." he sounded murderous. Ariel still dared not look at him.

She waited until the class had silently stampeded out of the potions classroom. Fred and George gave her an apologetic look and followed.

Walking up to his desk, she choked back the urge to laugh again. Snape was gripping the sides of his chair, his face discolored, and teeth clenched.

"Having a bit of trouble there dad?"

"Go and get the headmaster." Snape spat, glaring viciously.

A smirk slipped from Ariel's blank face, and Snape's glare intensified.

"I assure you, there is nothing funny about this."

"Oh, I beg to differ."

"How dare you-" Snape attempted to stand up again, but was interrupted by a loud "_RIIIIIIP". _

Ariel was roaring with laughter before Snape could sit back down. Tears streaming down her face, she leaned against a desk for support.

"_SILENCE"_ the humiliated man roared, but Ariel didn't hear him. She was still hysterical.

"Ariel, I swear, if you don't stop laughing this instant-"

After several minutes, the girl was final able to compose herself. Still smiling, she turned her attention back to her father.

Snape was shaking with rage. "_Go. Get. Dumbledore. Now_."

Her eyes narrowed, although she was still wearing an amused smirk. "Would you like a change of clothes first?" she snickered and Snape growled.

"_GO."_

"Actually, I have something I'd like to discuss with you." Ariel took a step forward, leaning over the desk.

"Now is not the time." he snapped, "Go get the headmaster, we can discuss it afterwards."

"I think now is the perfect time."

"Ariel, Merlin help you if you don't leave this classroom within the next-"

"I'll make a deal with you." she interrupted, causing Snape to writhe in the chair.

"What in the bloody hell are you _talking-_"

"I'll go and get Dumbledore, and swear this whole incident to secrecy, if you agree to be nicer to Harry."

Forget about discoloration, Snape was turning purple. "_HOW DARE YOU-"_

Ariel grinned mischievously. "That's the deal. Take it or leave it."

It took several breathes for Snape to compose himself before he answer her intelligibly. "I will _not _be making _any _deals with you regarding my situation and your _brother_." If looks could kill, Ariel would be dead where she stood.

"Well, then I guess you'll have to wait here for a while." she shrugged, and began making her way through the door.

"_ARIEL-"_

"Last chance, dad." she smiled, wriggling her eyebrows in the doorway.

"_TAKE ONE MORE STEP-"_

And with that, Ariel slammed the door shut and made her way the astronomy tower.


	13. Chapter 13

Ariel knew she was dead as she made her way to Astronomy. Completely, entirely, _dead_. Snape was going to destroy her. She should just start digging her own grave now.

But she couldn't help laughing as she walked to class. The situation itself had been utterly hysterical, but seeing Snape, the man who was always so poised and proper, and sometimes arrogant beyond belief, at her mercy, had made her do something she never would have thought of doing before. It had been worth a shot, and at least he knew she wasn't joking now. He was probably expecting her to burst through the door any minute with Dumbledore, but she wasn't coming. Snape was stuck there. Ariel briefly considered sending McGonagall down to him, but she decided that she didn't want a painful death.

Still smirking, she took her seat next to Damon, who grinned.

"Fred and George just told me what happened. Actually the whole school's talking about it. What'd he say to you?"

"Well, he's still down there, even worse off."

"What?" Damon looked confused, and Ariel told him her last minute plan.

Damon was hooting with laughter by the end. The class looked curiously back at the duo as Ariel began laughing herself.

"I don't wanna be you when he gets free." he warned, still chuckling as Professor Sinistra took her place at the front of the class.

"It was worth it." she whispered back, and he snorted. It _had _been worth it, although her stomach twisted every time she thought of her father's fury.

Snape was not at lunch, but he rarely ever came to the midday meal. Ariel decided to fill in Harry, Ron, and the twins, who were howling with laughter by the end, although Harry looked horrified.

"He's going to be bloody atrocious next potions class." he moaned.

"No he's not," she assured him, tossing an apple his way, "I'll make sure of it, don't worry."

Harry's expression didn't change, and Ariel was about to reassure him again when Dumbledore walked up behind her.

"Hello Ariel, Harry." he said cheerily, his eyes twinkling in the sunlight, "I was wondering if you've seen Professor Snape?" Harry shot Ariel a nervous look, "You see, I had something important I had wanted to discuss with him over lunch, and well, as you can see, he is not here."

Ariel gulped, while the rest of the group stared at their food. "Uh, actually I do, headmaster. You see, there was an incident in potions today and Professor Snape is, er, immobile at the moment."

Dumbledore's eyebrows furrowed, "Immobile?"

"Er, yes sir. Someone placed a hex on his chair during class, and he hasn't been able to move."

The old wizard suddenly looked very amused, "And he's still there?"

"Yes, sir."

"Why didn't you tell me, Miss. Potter? I would have gone down and assisted him right away."

"It must have slipped my mind, sir." George accidently let out a snort, and Dumbledore smirked in his direction.

"I see. Well, I'll go and see to it now. Thank you, my dear." and with that, he made his way out of the Great Hall.

"I better go and find somewhere to hide. He's going to bloody kill me." Ariel muttered, grabbing her books.

"I'll come with you." Harry volunteered, and Ariel gave him an appreciative smile.

They made their way to the shore of the lake. Ariel hadn't been here since she'd had lunch with Fred and George last year. She'd missed it, the breeze felt warm and inviting. Glancing at her brother, she noticed she was rubbing his scar.

"Does it ever bother you?" she motioned to the lightning shaped crevice.

Harry shrugged, "No, not really."

"What do you mean, 'not really'?

"Well," he hesitated, "It's only bothered me once. On the first day of term, at the feast."

Ariel suddenly remembered Harry's hand flying up to his forehead when Snape had glared at him. "When Snape looked at you? You felt something?"

"Yeah, it hurt really badly for a second, but then it was gone."

Frowning, Ariel felt her own scar. Hers had never hurt. Why did his when Snape looked at him?

She was about to ask more about the day Hagrid took him to Gringotts when Damon came sprinting over to them.

"Snape is un-stuck," he panted, "And he's _livid. _Fred and George just got called to the headmaster's office and Snape told McGonagall to search the castle for you."

_Shit._ "Thanks Damon." she said, grabbing her books. "I'm gonna try and make a run for the common room. I guess I'm skipping Charms today." She smirked at her brother.

"Good luck." said Harry, and Ariel sprinted to Gryffindor Tower.

Surprisingly, she made it without getting caught. She knew she'd have to face the music sooner or later, but she'd rather it be later. McGonagall was certain to come crashing in any second and Ariel was savoring every moment.

She lay in an armchair near the fire and looked at the bulletin board. _Was Halloween really tomorrow? _She wondered. Well, she could count on spending _that _feast scrubbing the potion classroom floor with a toothbrush. She hoped Harry wouldn't be too disappointed with that-

_Oh no_ she gasped. Harry's Quidditch practice tonight! How was she going to pull _that_ one off? It had been a miracle she'd made it to Gryffindor Tower, how was she going to get _out_?

She groaned and shoved her head into a pillow just as Professor McGonagall walked in.

"Miss. Potter." she said sharply, and Ariel's head shot up out of the cushion.

"Yes Professor?" her stomach lurched.

"The headmaster and your father request your presence."

"Yes, ma'am." Ariel dragged herself to the door.

McGonagall lectured her the entire way. "I honestly don't know what you were thinking, Ariel. It's one thing to pull this on a professor, which is horrifying enough, but your _father_, especially being who he _is._"

Ariel was silent, and McGonagall sighed outside of the Griffon door. "I have to give you credit, however." she gave Ariel an encouraging smile, "You gave me quite a laugh when I heard what happened."

"Thanks, professor." Ariel muttered and made her way upstairs. She took a deep breath before knocking, and slowly entered the room.

Snape was standing in the corner, arms crossed, and in different robes, black of course. Fred and George were sitting in the chairs opposite Dumbledore's desk, while the headmaster was the most puzzling of all. Glancing out the window, Dumbledore looked like he was trying very hard not to laugh, almost like Ariel had several hours ago.

"You wanted to see me headmaster?" Ariel sighed as she walked in. The old wizard turned from the window and smiled.

"Yes, my dear. Thank you for coming. We were having some trouble locating you earlier."

Snape snorted and Ariel glanced at him. He still looked angry, although not as bad as before. She supposed that he had unburdened most of the load onto the twins, who were smirking at Ariel from their seats.

"You may leave boys, thank you." Dumbledore motioned to the door, and they sprang up. Fred gave Ariel's arm a squeeze before he shut the door.

It was very quiet for a moment, as though the two adults expected Ariel to burst into an apology. She held her ground and gritted her teeth, waiting for someone to say something.

Dumbledore was the first to break the silence. "Well, I have to admit, I wasn't expecting what Professor Snape told me when I brought him a change of robes. Would you care to share your side of the story?"

Snape looked incredulous. "Honestly, Albus, are you really-"

"Please my boy, let her tell." the headmaster said softy, and motioned to Ariel to speak. Snape snarled under his breath and retreated farther into the shadows.

"Well, uh, what exactly did he tell you sir?" Ariel asked, confused as to why her opinion even mattered.

"That you orchestrated a prank with the Weasley twins in order to make a sort of 'deal' with him." the headmaster chuckled, and Snape shot him a disbelieving look. Ariel had to keep herself from laughing as well.

"Well, I didn't plan the prank," she turned to her father, who glowered, "That was all Fred and George. I had no idea what they were setting up, but I do admit to leaving him there." she declared, turning back to the old man.

"I see," Dumbledore said, his eyes sparkling again, "What kind of deal?"

"Albus-"

Dumbledore held up a hand to the outraged potions master, who muttered something darkly under his breath.

"That I would go and get you if he promised to stop being nasty to Harry."

It was quiet for a long moment. Dumbledore's eyes filled with something Ariel did not recognize, and Snape stared at the floor. She got the feeling that she wasn't in nearly as much trouble she'd originally thought.

The headmaster stood up and gave Ariel a long look before making his way to the door. "I think you two should have a moment to talk." he said softly. Snape was about to protest as he shut the door, and Ariel heard a _click_. He'd locked it?

There was a painful silence that echoed throughout the room, as Snape took a step forward.

"Ariel-"

She turned away from him, tears burning in her eyes. Why was she crying? _She _was angry with _him_, she couldn't look weak now.

"Ariel look at me."

Squeezing her eyes shut, she took a deep breath. Where was the yelling, the fire and brimstone?

"_Ariel please."_

There it was; the desperation in his voice she'd been waiting for. Finally turning to face her father, Ariel carefully looked into his face. He was trying hard to stay stone faced, but there was obvious concern and… guilt? Did Snape look guilty? Ariel pinched herself quickly. No, she wasn't dreaming. This was real. He felt guilty, now the question was over what?

"What?" she whispered, holding her arms to her chest. It was getting harder and harder to keep from crying.

He kneeled down and put his arms on her shoulders. "This needs to cease. The silence, the arguing. We cannot continue like this."

She stiffened under his touch and he flinched. He slowly dropped his hands and she took another breath to steady herself.

"I agree."

Snape gave a relieved sigh. He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth for a moment before finally speaking.

"And, being… _civil _to your brother would absolve any resentment you've been harboring towards me?"

"See, that's the problem." Ariel snapped, and Snape closed his eyes again. "Why do you talk about him like that? Am I missing something? Did Harry commit some awful crime I'm not aware of?"

He gave her no answer and she made her way towards the door.

"Alohomora." she whispered, and ran past a stunned Dumbledore, and leaving behind a pained father.

As Ariel ran downstairs, the tears began falling once more. She knew now that there was something he was keeping from her, and it hurt a lot more than she thought it would. Did he really not trust her? Did he think so little of her that he believed he didn't owe an explanation of his behavior? Harry was just a boy, what on earth could he have done to warrant such negativity? Ariel's head was spinning. Nothing made sense.

She didn't see Damon turning the corridor when she ran into him.

"Hey! Did Snape-" he stopped, seeing her grief stricken face, "Ariel, what happened? Was it that bad?"

Sobbing in response, he put an arm around her. "Hey, c'mon. What happened?"

Wordlessly, she shook he head, and Damon sighed. "Aw Ariel, don't be like that. Talking about it will make you feel better."

Shooting him a tear filled glare, he chuckled. "You're not very intimidating when you're crying." he teased.

Ariel was quiet for a moment as she composed herself, and finally she spoke.

"I think Snape has a reason for hating Harry that he's keeping from me."

APHPSSAPHPSSAPHPSSAPHPSS

The guilt was eating him alive as Dumbledore sadly entered the room. He still couldn't believe that Ariel had reacted that way. After all, he could have gotten angry over what she'd done to him. Deep down, he knew he deserved it, however inappropriate it may have been. But after Harry's first potions lesson, yes, he'd supposed Ariel would have gotten even for her brother somehow.

"Severus-"

"I don't want to hear it." Snape slumped into the chair Fred Weasley had been sitting in moments ago.

"She's hurting Severus, don't you see what this is doing to her? You're forcing her to choose between you and her brother, and she doesn't want to. She doesn't _understand _why you're treating Harry this way. You can't expect her to forgive you when you haven't given her a reason to."

"So what then? I reveal all my secrets to my twelve year old daughter? You know better than that, Albus."

"I'm not expecting you to tell her about Lily," Snape's heart clenched even harder in his chest, "But you could-"

"No. I know what you're going to say." Snape stared at his hands, ignoring the lump in his throat.

"And what is that?"

"I'm supposed to tell her I can't look at her brother without hating him because her biological father was an arrogant piece of-"

"Severus, look at me." Dumbledore said quietly.

Snape looked up, and suddenly Dumbledore looked very solemn, stoic even.

"You know that this is about James." Dumbledore leaned forward and gave Snape his kindest look, "You cannot hate Harry and keep Ariel at this point. It will tear her apart. She needs a rock to stand on until it's time for you to leave her."

Snape shakily raised his hand and pinched the bridge of his nose. He closed his eyes and whispered, "Leave her?"

Dumbledore clasped his hands tightly, "You know that I firmly believe that the Dark Lord was rise again. Now, while I know you are skeptical, you made a vow to me that you would protect those children in order to compensate for what happened to Lily Potter. I also know that you have come to love the girl, and that she is yours, but Severus, when Voldemort returns, you will need to act as a spy once more. The children will not be successful without your help. While I wish it could be different, Harry and Ariel need to come to believe that you have truly gone to the dark side once again, so that when the time comes, your cover is absolute."

"Ariel will need to believe that I'm a Death Eater again?" he could taste the bile in his throat.

"Unfortunately, yes."

Snape's throat tightened even more. "So what do I tell her, Dumbledore? That I purposefully have to be a bastard to the boy now so that when the Dark Lord comes back, he'll believe I'm on his side? How do you think she'll take that?"

"You either explain this to her now, or reveal your feud with James Potter and apologize to Harry for the time being. It's the only way." the old wizard suddenly looked his age, his piercing blue eyes filled with guilt.

His stomach lurched. Revealing that Dumbledore believed the Dark Lord was returning was out of the question, and Dumbledore knew that. If this was true, and Ariel was going to eventually believe that Snape had gone dark once again, Snape couldn't take the silence from her anymore. He was wasting the precious time he had left. He'd outright ignored Potter in potions after the incident the first day, praying that it'd be enough for Ariel to forgive him. But _apologize? _That was going to be something.

"Very well, Albus." he said quietly, standing up. "I will… consider what you've said."

And with that, he left the headmaster to his thoughts.

APHPSSAPHPSSAPHPSSAPHPSS

Harry Potter woke up to the smell of pumpkin wafting through the corridors. He had always loved Halloween, although his aunt and uncle had never let him participate. He was always locked in the cupboard while Dudley was given bowl after bowl of candy, posing for the hundreds of pictures Aunt Petunia took of him in his costumes. His cousin would often narrate the textures and tastes of each kind of candy in order to torture him.

He hadn't seen Ariel since the lake the day before and wondered if Snape had caught her. She hadn't shown up to his first Quidditch practice, but he couldn't blame her. After the stunt she'd pulled, he would be surprised if she was still alive.

Quite frankly, Professor Snape confused Harry. The man had raised his sister, which raised the very first question; _why_? Why had Snape been given guardianship of Ariel? Of all the people in the wizarding world, the greasy git had gotten her. She obviously loved him, something Harry didn't think he would ever understand, but felt himself a little envious over. Why did he get his uncle and aunt, who hated him the moment he showed up on their doorstep, while Ariel got a loving, protective _father, _who'd probably taught her magic from day one. He didn't hold it against Ariel in the slightest, but he wondered why Dumbledore had made that decision.

The young Gryffindor was torn from his thoughts when he sister entered the room and quietly plopped down onto his bed, sighing.

"Uh, you're alive."

Ariel smirked and turned towards him, "Of course I'm alive. I'm a survivor."

"How'd it go? Was it really bad?"

She avoided his curious gaze and began tracing the patterns on his quilt, "Yeah, it was bad."

"Did you get punished?"

"No."

"Wait what? Really? How-"

"Can we not talk about it?" she cut him off, giving him a pleading look.

"Uh, yeah, sorry." he said, a little hurt she wouldn't tell him what happened.

It was quiet before she spoke again.

"I'm sorry," she squeezed his hand, "Snape's just being, I don't know. I don't understand what's happening right now and it's frustrating."

Harry nodded, still a bit confused as to what that meant.

"Let's go get ready. It's Halloween." she said the last part in a spooky voice, making Harry laugh.

Making their way to the Great Hall, the Weasley twins caught up with them.

"So?"

"What happened?"

"No punishment." She gave a small smile as she took her seat at the table.

"No way!" George shouted, "How the-"

"Guys." Harry shot them a look, and they shut up. Ariel gave him a thankful smile.

Snape was sitting at the High Table, looking rather tired. His skin was paler than usual, and the circles under his eyes were darker. Harry wondered what on earth had taken place last night.

The day went very well, with Professor Flitwick's lesson being the best. The first years had finally begun levitation, although Ron had seemed to have trouble with it.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" he shouted at his feather, waving his long arms like a windmill.

"You're saying it wrong," Harry heard Hermione snap. "It's Wing-gar-dium Levi-o-sa, make the 'gar' nice and long."

"You do it, then, if you're so clever," Ron snarled.

Hermione rolled up the sleeves of her gown, flicked her wand, and said, "Wingardium Leviosa!"

Their feather rose off the desk and hovered about four feet above their heads.

"Oh, well done!" cried Professor Flitwick, clapping. "Everyone see here, Miss Granger's done it!"

Ron was in a very bad mood by the end of the class. "It's no wonder no one can stand her," he said to Harry as they pushed their way into the crowded corridor, "she's a nightmare, honestly."

Someone knocked into Harry as they hurried past him. It was Hermione. Harry caught a glimpse of her face, and was startled to see that she was in tears.

"I think she heard you."

"So?" said Ron, but he looked a bit uncomfortable. "She must've noticed she's got no friends."

Hermione didn't turn up for the next class and wasn't seen all afternoon. On their way down to the Great Hall for the Halloween feast, Harry and Ron overheard Parvati Patil telling her friend Lavender that Hermione was crying in the girls' bathroom and wanted to be left alone. Ron looked still more awkward at this, but a moment later they had entered the Great Hall, where the Halloween decorations put Hermione out of their minds.

A thousand live bats fluttered from the walls and ceiling while a thousand more swooped over the tables in low black clouds, making the candles in the pumpkins stutter. The feast appeared suddenly on the golden plates, as it had at the start-of-term banquet.

Harry was just helping himself to a baked potato when Professor Quirrell came sprinting into the hall, his turban crooked and terror on his face. Everyone stared as he reached Professor Dumbledore's chair, slumped against the table, and gasped, "Troll, in the dungeons, thought you ought to know."

He then sank to the floor in a dead faint.

There was an uproar. It took several purple firecrackers exploding from the end of Dumbledore's wand to silence everyone.

"Prefects," he rumbled, "lead your Houses back to the dormitories immediately!"

Percy Weasley was suddenly in his element.

He began shouting for the first years not to fear, while Harry caught Ariel rolling her eyes.

"How could a troll get in?" Ariel mused as they climbed the stairs.

"I dunno, but from what I've heard, they're pretty stupid." Ron said.

Suddenly, Harry grabbed his arm, "Hermione, she doesn't know…"

Ariel's eyes widened and she made her way down to the bathroom with Ron and Harry close behind. They had just rounded the corner when they heard quick footsteps behind them. They jumped behind a large stone griffin, and watched in surprise as Snape passed by.

"Why isn't he searching the dungeons with the rest of the teachers?" Ron whispered.

They followed his quiet footsteps for a moment. "He's heading to the third floor!" Harry said, and Ariel frowned.

"Do you smell that?"

Harry sniffed and a foul stench reached his nostrils, a mixture of old socks and the kind of public toilet no one seems to clean.

And then they heard it, a low grunting, and the shuffling footfalls of gigantic feet. Ron pointed, at the end of a passage to the left, something huge was moving toward them. They shrank into the shadows and watched as it emerged into a patch of moonlight.

The troll stopped next to a doorway and peered inside, then slouched slowly into the room.

"The keys in the lock," Harry muttered. "We could lock it in."

"Good idea," said Ron nervously.

Turning to Ariel to confirm their idea, their nervousness turned to confusion as her first turned white.

"_That's the girl's bathroom."_

The trio burst in to see that Hermione Granger was shrinking against the wall opposite, looking as if she was about to faint. The troll was advancing on her, knocking the sinks off the walls as it went. The troll stopped a few feet from Hermione. It lumbered around, blinking stupidly, to see what had made the noise. Its mean little eyes saw Harry. It hesitated, then made for him instead, lifting its club as it went.

"Oy, pea-brain!" yelled Ariel from the other side of the chamber, and she threw a metal pipe at it. The troll didn't even seem to notice the pipe hitting its shoulder, but it heard the yell and paused again, turning its ugly snout toward Ariel instead, giving Harry time to run around it.

"Come on, run, run!" Harry yelled at Hermione, trying to pull her toward the door, but she couldn't move, she was still flat against the wall, her mouth open with terror.

Ariel then did something that was both very brave and very stupid: She took a great running jump and managed to fasten her arms around the troll's neck from behind. The troll couldn't feel Ariel hanging there, but even a troll will notice if you stick a long bit of wood up its nose, and Ariel's wand had still been in her hand when she'd jumped; it had gone straight up one of the troll's nostrils.

Harry pulled out his own wand, not knowing what he was going to do until he heard himself cry the first spell that came into his head: "Wingardium Leviosa!"

The club flew suddenly out of the troll's hand, rose high, high up into the air, turned slowly over, and dropped, with a crack, onto its owner's head. The troll swayed on the spot and then fell flat on its face, with a thud that made the whole room tremble.

Ariel got to her feet. She was shaking and out of breath. Harry was standing there with his wand still raised, staring at what he had done.

It was Hermione who spoke first. "Is it…dead?"

A sudden slamming and loud footsteps made the four of them look up. They hadn't realized what a racket they had been making, but of course, someone downstairs must have heard the crashes and the troll's roars. A moment later, Professor McGonagall had come bursting into the room, closely followed by Snape, and Quirrell, who took one look at the troll, let out a faint whimper, and sat quickly down on a toilet, clutching his heart.

Snape's black eyes widened in horror as he saw Ariel standing by the troll and rushed over.

"Are you alright?" he said frantically, quickly looking her over for any signs of injury.

She pulled away and glared and Snape coldly. "I'm fine."

"What on earth were you thinking of?" said Professor McGonagall. Harry looked at Ron, who was looking at Ariel and Snape. "You're lucky you weren't killed. Why aren't you in your dormitory?"

Harry looked at the floor.

"Are you alright, Potter?"

Harry's head snapped up, and to his shock, found Professor Snape staring at him.

"Y-yes sir."

Ariel raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment.

"Please, Professor McGonagall, they were looking for me. I went looking for the troll because I, I thought I could deal with it on my own, you know, because I've read all about them."

Hermione Granger, telling a downright lie to a teacher? "If they hadn't found me, I'd be dead now. Ariel jumped on it to distract it and Harry knocked it out. They didn't have time to come and fetch anyone. It was about to finish me off when they arrived."

This information caused Snape to stiffen

"Well, in that case..." said Professor McGonagall, staring at the four of them, "Miss Granger, you foolish girl, how could you think of tackling a mountain troll on your own?"

Hermione hung her head. Harry was speechless. Hermione was the last person to do anything against the rules, and here she was, pretending she had, to get them out of trouble. It was as if Snape had started handing out sweets.

"Miss Granger, five points will be taken from Gryffindor for this," said Professor McGonagall. "I'm very disappointed in you. If you're not hurt at all, you'd better get off to Gryffindor tower. Students are finishing the feast in their houses."

As she left, Professor McGonagall turned to Harry, Ariel, and Ron.

"Well, I still say you were lucky, but not many first years could have taken on a full-grown mountain troll. You each win Gryffindor five points. Professor Dumbledore will be informed of this. You may go."

They hurried out of the chamber and didn't speak at all until they had climbed two floors up. It was a relief to be away from the smell of the troll, quite apart from anything else.

"Bloody hell, that was close." Ron muttered as the ascended the stairs.

Entering the common room, Hermione quickly ran over, and the four of them said a quick "Thanks" to each other.

From then on, Hermione was a part of the group.


	14. Chapter 14

As they entered November, the weather turned bitterly cold.

A chill enveloped the school, which seemed to be more or less present when Ariel Potter and Severus Snape were placed in the same room.

The Weasley twins prank had spread throughout the school like wildfire, making Snape even more vicious than before, except to one student.

Harry Potter was thoroughly annoyed at this point. He knew Snape hated him, for some reason only he knew, but the man was being, well, _decent_, which was something he did not mask well. During potions, Snape either ignored him completely, especially if he was in a particularly foul mood, or actually guided him through a potion. The pendulum either swung too far left or too far right and Harry wished Snape would just pick one already. He almost prayed Snape would just go back to hating him blatantly so he could stop guessing what kind of Snape he'd get during potions every week.

At the same time, he wondered why Ariel just didn't forgive the man already. Although, maybe she shouldn't. Harry was suspicious of Snape, especially after the troll incident. Why hadn't he been in the dungeons with the rest of the staff?

He didn't dare tell Ariel this. He had little to go on, and didn't dare accuse her father of something like that. She'd flip. Besides, he had other things to worry about.

His first Quidditch game was coming up, Gryffindor vs Slytherin. Wood had told him practically everything was to know about the game, including the fact that seekers tended to be the players that got injured the most. Damon and Ron had assured him that he'd be alright.

"You're brilliant on a broom, Harry." said Damon as they made their way to the courtyard with Hermione, Ariel, and Ron, "You'll be just fine."

Sometimes Harry forgot Damon was a Slytherin. The rest of his house, especially their head of house, tended to look like they smelled something bad whenever he passed by. Ariel had told him that it was because a lot of their parents or relatives had been in league with You-Know-Who, which made Harry even more uncomfortable around them sometimes. He hadn't asked if Damon's parents had been, but Ariel said his uncle was.

Hermione had lit a blue fire which they placed in a jam jar. They huddled around it, trying to get warm when Snape suddenly crossed the yard, limping. He saw Ariel's eyes flash with concern with a moment, and then stood in front of the fire, hiding it from view.

Snape must have sensed their guilt, because he began making his way towards them. Limping over, he appeared not to see the fire, but gave the group a glower. Ariel returned it.

"What have you got there, Potter?" his black eyes motioned to the book he was holding.

"Quidditch Throughout the Ages." said Harry, holding it up.

"Book are not to be taken from the library. Give it to me." Harry sighed; there was the old Snape.

"You just made that up." Ariel snapped, but Snape ignored her. Taking the book, he limped away.

"I wonder what's wrong with his leg." Ron said, and the Gryffindors decided to head to the tower.

It was very crowded in the common room that night, and Harry wished he had his book to take his mind off his nerves.

"I'm going to go ask Snape for my book back." he said, standing up.

"I'll come with you." Ariel closed the textbook she was reading and began to stand.

They made their way down to the staffroom and knocked. There was no answer. Ariel knocked again. Nothing.

"Maybe he just left it in there?" Ariel whispered, and Harry nodded. It was worth a try. Pushing the door ajar, they peered inside, Ariel's eyes filling with horror.

Snape and Filch were inside, alone. Snape was holding his robes above his knee. One of his legs was bloody and mangled. Filch was handing Snape bandages.

"Blasted thing." they heard Snape say, "How are you supposed to keep your eyes on all three heads at once?"

Ariel let out a gasp, and Harry quickly tried to close the door.

"_POTTER_." Snape's face with twisted with fury as he tried to hide his leg under his robes.

He couldn't tell if he was talking to just him or both of them. "I was just wondering if I could have my book back, sir."

"GET OUT! OUT!"

Ariel looked like she had seen a ghost when Harry dragged her away, sprinting back up the Gryffindor Tower.

In a low whisper, Harry quickly informed Ron and Hermione what he'd seen. His sister was quiet.

"You know what this means?" he finished breathlessly. "He tried to get past that three-headed dog at Halloween! That's where he was going when we saw him, he's after whatever it's guarding! And I'd bet my broomstick he let that troll in!"

"No." Ariel said, disgust layering her voice. "Snape would never."

"I'm with Harry." Ron said, "I wouldn't put it past him. But what's he after? What's the bloody dog hiding?"

"He's my _dad_." Ariel shot back, glaring at her brother and the redhead. "I know him, he wouldn't betray Dumbledore like that."

That ended _that_ conversation for the time being. Harry went to bed that night, Snape's outraged face haunting his dreams.

APHPSSAPHPSSAPHPSSAPHPSS

Ariel felt horrible when she woke up the following morning. After last night's events, she couldn't shake the feeling she'd gotten seeing her dad's leg. What the bloody hell _had _happened?

She didn't have much time to think about it; the first Quidditch match was today. To be specific, _Harry's _first Quidditch match. His nerves were obvious at breakfast. He refused to touch anything.

"You've got to eat some breakfast." Ariel said gently, pushing a plate of toast towards him.

"I don't want anything."

"Just a bit of toast, please?"

"I'm not hungry."

"You need your strength. Seekers are-"

She was interrupted by a mass of students suddenly standing, all making their way to the double doors at once.

Harry stood up, looking rather nauseous.

"You're going to be brilliant." Ariel hugged him tightly. "Look for me, we'll be cheering for you!"

"Thanks." he muttered, and slowly made his way out of the Great Hall.

Ariel, Ron, and Hermione took their seats in the top row, soon followed by Hagrid. The game began with a roar, and the players were off. The snitch was nowhere to be found for a long while, so Ariel watched as Fred and George played, cheering and hooting for then. Her throat was going to be killing her tomorrow.

Suddenly, Harry took off and Ariel saw it. The golden snitch.

"_COME ON HARRY!"_ she roared, standing up and jumping.

The Slytherin seeker had also seen the snitch and began racing after it. Harry was closer, however, until _WHAM. _

Marcus Flint rammed into Harry, causing Ariel to shriek. Her brother was holding on for dear life.

The Gryffindors screamed "FOUL!", and Madam Hooch gave Gryffindor a free shot at the goal posts.

Lee Jordan was finding it difficult not to take sides. "So, after that obvious and disgusting bit of cheating."

"Jordan!" growled Professor McGonagall.

"I mean, after that open and revolting foul-"

"Jordan, I'm warning you-"

"All right, all right. Flint nearly kills the Gryffindor Seeker, which could happen to anyone, I'm sure, so a penalty to Gryffindor, taken by Spinner, who puts it away, no trouble, and we continue play, Gryffindor still in possession."

Ariel wasn't hearing the commentary anymore. Something was wrong with Harry. Well, actually, Harry's broom. It was lurching forward and back, as if trying to throw Harry off. She squinted, trying to get a closer look. There was something very wrong.

Suddenly, people were pointing up at Harry from all over the stands. His broom had started to roll over and over, with him just managing to hold on. The broom finally gave a wild jerk, and Harry was dangling off, hanging on with one hand.

Ariel and Hermione jumped up suddenly.

"He's lost control of his broom!" Hermione shrieked.

"But- but that's impossible! Nothing can interfere with a broomstick like that except dark magic-" Ariel stopped suddenly, the color draining from her face.

Grabbing his binoculars, Ron gasped. "I knew it!"

"What? What is it?" Ariel looked at him frantically.

"Snape, he's jinxing the broom!"

"Nonsense!" Hagrid said, his eyes widening, "Why would he-"

Grabbing the binoculars from him, Ariel looked and saw her father in the middle of the stands opposite them. He had his eyes fixed on Harry and was muttering something.

"No. It can't be. He would never-"

"Leave it to me." Hermione interrupted, and was gone before Ariel could protest.

Fred and George were trying to help Harry onto their brooms, but every time they got close, the broom shot high above their heads. They finally circled down below him, hoping they could catch him if he fell.

_Why isn't Dumbledore doing anything? _Ariel thought, looking over at the headmaster. Suddenly, she saw her father shoot up out of the stands, yelping. Hermione was back a few moments later, and Harry regained control of the broom. He shot towards the ground, looking like he was going to be sick. As he safely landed, he uncovered his mouth, revealed the Snitch.

Ariel gave a sigh of relief, and the Gryffindors went ballistic.

"It was Snape," Ron was explaining to Harry an hour later. They had made their way to Hagrid's hut for some tea. "Hermione, Ariel and I saw him. He was cursing your broomstick, muttering, he wouldn't take his eyes off you."

"Rubbish," said Hagrid, who hadn't heard a word of what had gone on next to him in the stands. "Why would Snape do somethin' like that?"

Ariel had been very quiet. She looked deep in thought, not paying attention to conversation.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked at one another, wondering what to tell him. Harry decided on the truth.

"I found out something about him," he told Hagrid. "He tried to get past that three-headed dog on Halloween. It bit him. We think he was trying to steal whatever it's guarding."

Hagrid dropped the teapot.

"How do you know about Fluffy?" he said.

"Fluffy?"

"Yeah, he's mine, bought him off a Greek I met in the pub las' year, I lent him to Dumbledore to guard the-"

"Yes?" said Harry eagerly.

"Now, don't ask me anymore," said Hagrid gruffly. "That's top secret, that is."

"But Snape's trying to steal it."

"Rubbish," said Hagrid again. "Snape's a Hogwarts teacher, he'd do nothin' of the sort."

"So why did he just try and kill Harry?" cried Hermione.

Ariel's head shot up at that. "We don't know that for sure, Hermione."

"I know a jinx when I see one, Ariel, I've read all about them!"

"I don't care what you've bloody read!" Ariel exploded, balling her fists. "I know my dad may not _like_ Harry, but he's not a murderer. He would never try to kill him!"

"You've got to keep eye contact, and Snape wasn't blinking at all, I saw him!"

"I'm tellin' yeh, yer wrong!" said Hagrid hotly, giving Ariel a supportive look. "I don' know why Harry's broom acted like that, but Snape wouldn' try an' kill a student! Now, listen to me, all four of yeh, yer meddlin' in things that don' concern yeh. It's dangerous. You forget that dog, an' you forget what it's guardin', that's between Professor Dumbledore an' Nicolas Flamel -"

"Aha!" said Harry, "so there's someone called Nicolas Flamel involved, is there?"

Hagrid looked furious with himself.

After leaving Hagrid's hut, Ariel stormed down to the dungeons. She was going to get some answers about Snape's stunt at the game whether he liked it or not.

Bursting into his office, Snape looked startled for a moment. Ariel was breathing heavily, suddenly at a loss for words.

Snape raised an eyebrow and put his quill down, leaning back in his chair. It took her another minute before she found her voice.

"Were you jinxing Harry's broom?"

A mix of emotions made themselves present on Snape's face. Hurt, confusion, anger, guilt, and then realization.

"What caused you to come to _that_ conclusion?" Snape snapped, "Did your brother assume that?"

"No. I did. I saw you muttering and staring at Harry during the game."

His glare turned icy, "Were you the one who set my robes on fire?"

_So that's what Hermione had done._ "No."

Ariel took a step towards him. "So was it you? Were you trying to throw Harry off his broom?"

Hurt flashed in Snape's eyes before he assumed his infamous stone face, "No, Ariel. I did not."

She believed him. She'd seen the hurt at her accusation. That was enough for her.

But he knew who had.

Biting her tongue, she stared at him for a long moment. He wouldn't tell her, not now.

"Ariel-"

She flew out of the room before Snape could say anything else.

APHPSSAPHPSSAPHPSSAPHPSS

Christmas was coming. One morning in mid-December, Hogwarts woke to find itself covered in several feet of snow and the lake frozen solid. The Weasley twins were punished for bewitching several snowballs so that they followed Quirrell around, bouncing off the back of his turban.

No one was anticipating the holidays more than Ariel. It was going to be her first Christmas with Harry. The Weasleys were staying as well, which only added to her excitement.

It would also be her first Christmas without Snape.

She hadn't spoken to him since the day she'd confronted him about the game, and quite honestly, she was glad. Snape had never scared her, but she found herself walking the other way if she passed him in halls out of fear that he'd stop her.

He didn't frighten her in the way the students were, the snarky, sullen bat of the dungeons would never scare her. It was the fact that there was something darker he'd kept from her.

Damon, Ron, Hermione, Harry, and Ariel had been doing a massive amount of research in Hogwart's library when they weren't in classes. No one had brought up Snape's guilt, much to Ariel's relief. They had thrown themselves into finding out who Nicholas Flamel was. He hadn't been in any of the books they'd read so far, and Ariel was beginning to get frustrated. They weren't getting any closer to finding out the truth.

The holidays finally arrived, and Damon and Hermione seemed reluctant to go.

"Let us know if you find out anything. I'll be sure to look through my uncle's library and see what I can find." Damon said.

"Write to your parents Ron. See what they said." Hermione commanded, and with that, they left.

On Christmas Eve, Ariel was frantic. As much as she was anticipating the holidays, the Nicholas Flamel search had caused her to forget something very important; _presents_. She had nothing to give to Harry, and no way of going and _buying _him something. Guilt flooded through her as she rummaged through her trunk, desperate to find something.

She brushed past a couple of photographs and stopped.

Dumbledore had given her a picture of her parents when she was younger, the only one she had. Her mum smiled lovingly at her dad, as her spun her around in a circle. She began to laugh, finally looking up at Ariel, giving her a wave. Ariel waved back, and tried not to cry. It wasn't much, but it was all she had to give Harry. It had meant the world when Dumbledore had found it for her; she hoped it'd mean something to Harry as well.

Sorting through the rest of the pictures, she smiled sadly. They were all pictures of Snape and herself when she was younger. She was laughing in each one, while Snape looked rather uninterested. Her favorite was the most recent. It had been taken last May in the courtyard. Ariel was laughing, hanging onto Snape's arm, while he gave her an amused look, finally swinging her up with his arm.

Ariel hadn't realized she'd been crying as she sorted through the rest. All her confusion and resentment had made her forget how much she actually missed him. It had already been almost a month since they'd talked. She wondered if he missed her at all and why he hadn't tried speaking to her again.

Grabbing the photo of them last May, she quickly scribbled a 'Merry Christmas' onto the back, and flew down to the dungeons. She almost knocked, but quickly slipped the photo under the door, bolting around the nearest corner. The door creaked open, and there was silence for a long moment. Snape sighed, and called out quietly.

"Ariel?"

She almost went to him, but stopped herself. Not yet, not until she got some answers.

Snape sighed again and Ariel heard the door close.

"Merry Christmas, dad." she whispered, and headed back up to the tower.

She woke up early the next morning with a jolt. She'd had another nightmare, but she couldn't remember it. Something about a face, a mirror-

Fred and George yelling for her pulled her from her thoughts. Not even looking at the presents in front of her bed, she bolted to Harry's room, where she jumped on him. The two fell onto the bed, laughing.

"Merry Christmas!" she crowed and the Weasley boys laughed.

"Merry Christmas to you, too." Harry was still laughing, and Ariel rolled off him.

She quickly made her way to the doorway "Wait! Before you open anything, open mine first!"

Harry looked surprised, "Oh, you really didn't-"

"Oh shut up!" she called back, quickly grabbing the picture from her trunk.

As she handed him the photograph, she noticed his eyes widen. "Is this-" he whispered.

"Yeah. It's the only one I could find." she said quietly.

Harry took a deep breath. "I've never seen them before. I-I never knew what they even looked like…"

_Damn those bloody Muggles_. She couldn't bring herself to say anything. He was waving back at the picture now.

"Let's bring our presents into the common room!" Fred announced, leading the way.

Harry had seemed surprised that he had gotten other gifts, the most interesting being a cloak.

"This was dads?" Ariel said, picking up the note. Harry was running his fingers through the fabric, completely mesmerized.

The note wasn't signed, who in Merlin's name had sent it?

Hagrid had sent Ariel a whistle identical to the one he'd sent Harry, as well as a Weasley sweater. The twins insisted that everyone wear theirs, much to Percy's dislike.

Ariel laughed as they forced the sweater over the mortified Prefect's head. "C'mon Percy! 'P for Prefect'!"

The last of her gifts was signed 'Merry Christmas' in very familiar handwriting. Ariel hesitated, and then decided not to open it now, much to Fred and George's disappointment.

Snape was nowhere to be found during the meals that day to Ariel's relief. She spent the day organizing a snowball fight, well, _war_ was more like it. Fred, George, and Ariel teamed up against Percy, Harry, and Ron. Needless to say, the trio annihilated them.

The day ended with the twins and Ariel stealing Percy's badge. Ron and Harry were howling with laughter, watching them run around the dorm.

Harry and Ariel were the last ones awake as the day died down. All four Weasley boys had fallen asleep about an hour ago. Brother and sister were staring at the fire, trying to keep their eyes open.

Suddenly, Ariel's eyes tore to the unopened gift on the table.

"You should open it." Harry said softly.

"I don't know if I want to."

"Why not? I doubt he's expecting a thank you, I mean, he had to get you a gift. He's your dad."

Ariel was about to say that wasn't it but stopped herself. She really didn't want to tell him about the picture. She reluctantly reached forward and slowly unwrapped the package.

_Is this-_

Choking back tears, she slowly opened the photo album. _When did he take these? I don't remember anyone but Dumbledore making us pose for pictures._

Her head was swimming with memories as she looked through the book. Ariel, no more than four, asleep on Snape's lap, Snape carrying her down a corridor at Hogwarts, her running over to Hagrid's hut…

Harry came over and sat on the arm of the chair, eyes widening at the pictures.

They were very quiet for a moment, and Ariel finally put the book down.

"Let's go." she stood up.

He blinked. "_Go?"_

"We have to find out who Nicholas Flamel is. You have that invisibility cloak, let's put it to use!"

Grinning, Harry picked up the cloak, wrapping it around the two of them. It was larger than Ariel had thought.

The library was pitch-black and very eerie. Harry lit a lamp to see his way along the rows of books. The lamp looked as if it was floating along in midair, and even though Ariel could see his arm supporting it, the sight gave her the creeps.

The Restricted Section was right at the back of the library. Stepping carefully over the rope that separated these books from the rest of the library, Harry held up his lamp to read the titles.

They didn't tell them much. Their peeling, faded gold letters spelled words in languages Harry couldn't understand. Some had no title at all.

They had to start somewhere. Setting the lamp down carefully on the floor, Harry looked along the bottom shelf for an interesting looking book. A large black and silver volume caught his eye. He pulled it out with difficulty.

"Wait, Harry-" Ariel whispered, but it was too late.

A piercing, bloodcurdling shriek split the silence, the book was screaming! Harry snapped it shut, but the shriek went on and on. Ariel stumbled backward and knocked over his lamp, which went out at once.

"C'mon!" Ariel whispered frantically, and they took off.

They passed Filch in the doorway; Filch's pale, wild eyes looked straight through them, and they slipped under Filch's outstretched arm and streaked off up the corridor.

They came to a sudden halt in front of a tall suit of armor.

"Where the heck are we?" Harry whispered and Ariel looked around.

"You asked me to come directly to you, Professor, if anyone was wandering around at night, and somebody's been in the library's Restricted Section."

Ariel felt the blood drain out of her face. Wherever he was, Filch must know a shortcut, because his soft, greasy voice was getting nearer, and to her horror, it was Snape who replied, "The Restricted Section? Well, they can't be far, we'll catch them."

Brother and sister stood rooted to the spot as Filch and Snape came around the corner ahead. They couldn't see them, of course, but it was a narrow corridor and if they came much nearer they'd knock right into them.

Ariel motioned with her eyes to back away as quietly as they could. A door stood ajar to his left. It was their only hope. They squeezed through it and to their relief they managed to get inside the room without Snape and Filch noticing anything. They walked straight past. That had been close, very close.

She turned around to see magnificent mirror, as high as the ceiling, with an ornate gold frame, standing on two clawed feet. There was an inscription carved around the top: _Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi_. Her panic fading now that there was no sound of Filch and Snape, Harry moved nearer to the mirror, as Ariel took off the cloak. She looked up.

She had to clap her hands to her mouth to stop herself from screaming. Harry whirled around. Her heart was pounding far more furiously, for she had seen not only himself in the mirror, but a whole crowd of people standing right behind him, one of them being Snape.

But the room was empty. Breathing very fast, she turned slowly back to the mirror. It was Harry's turn to gasp.

There she was, reflected in it, white and scared-looking, and there, reflected behind herself and her brother, were at least ten others. Harry and Ariel looked over their shoulders, but still, no one was there. Or were they all invisible, too? Was she in fact in a room full of invisible people and this mirror's trick was that it reflected them, invisible or not?

She looked in the mirror again. A woman standing right behind her reflection was smiling at them and waving. She reached out a hand and felt the air behind her. If she was really there, she'd touch her, their reflections were so close together, but she felt only air, she and the others existed only in the mirror.

She recognized them immediately.

"Mum? Dad?" Harry whispered, and Ariel turned to him.

"You see them too?"

Harry was so close to the mirror now that his nose was nearly touching that of his reflection.

They just looked at the two children, smiling.

Snape was the only one who looked a bit out of place, but he was staring lovingly back at Ariel, and she felt a lump form in her throat. What was this?

She had a powerful kind of ache inside him, half joy, half terrible sadness.

How long they stood there, they didn't know. The reflections did not fade and they looked and looked until a distant noise brought them back to their senses.

"We have to go." Ariel said quietly, not taking her eyes off all three of her parents.

Harry nodded, and whispered "I'll come back." to their mother.

They did, in fact, come back. Every night they sat in front of the mirror while Ariel and Harry talked, the reflections just listened.

But one night, as they sat down, Ariel turned to see Dumbledore sitting on one of the desks.

"Back again?"

Harry whirled around, looking horrified. "I didn't see you there, sir."

"Strange, how nearsighted being invisible can make you." the headmaster said, slipping off the table and taking a seat next to the two children. "So, the both of you have discovered the delights of the Mirror of Erised."

"I didn't know it was called that, sir." Ariel said, looking at her parents.

"I expect you know what it does?"

"It, it shows me my family." Harry said, looking at the headmaster, who seemed thoughtful.

"Ariel, do you see Professor Snape in the reflection?"

"Yes." Harry looked surprised.

"You do?"

"You don't?"

Dumbledore chuckled. "The mirror shows your heart's deepest desires. For you, dear boy, it's your family, who you have never known. For Ariel, it is the same, but Professor Snape is also her father. However, the mirror will be moved to a new home tomorrow, and I must ask you two to not go looking for it again. It does not do well to dwell on dreams."

The siblings nodded and began making their way out the door when Harry turned.

"Headmaster, what do you see?"

"Myself? I see myself holding a pair of woolen socks."

Ariel tried to keep herself from laughing as Harry stared. "Goodnight headmaster, thank you."

"Goodnight, children."


	15. Chapter 15

Hermione was rather annoyed when she came back from holiday and found that no one had recovered further information on Flamel.

They eventually gave up on finding anything in the library, to Ariel's disappointment. Not knowing what Snape was keeping from her was going to drive her mad.

The head of Slytherin had asked to referee the next Quidditch game to Ron and Hermione's horror, although Ariel reassured them that Snape was not to blame. They were still skeptical about Snape's innocence, even after Ariel told them of her conversation with the potions master.

As they sat in the Gryffindor common room the night before the game, Harry suddenly gasped.

"What's wrong?" Ariel asked as Ron and Hermione looked up.

"I've found him!" he whispered excitedly, running over to Ariel's chair, "I've found Nicholas Flamel!"

"What are you talking about-" her brother was shoving a chocolate frog card in her face."Harry, this is Dumbledore's card, what does this have-"

"Read it!" he said impatiently, and Ariel sighed.

"_Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work in alchemy with his partner Nicholas Flamel!"_

"You did it Harry!" Ron crowed as Hermione bolted out of the room and up to her dormitory.

She returned with a rather large book.

"I knew it! I knew it! Nicolas Flamel," she whispered dramatically, "is the only known maker of the Sorcerer's Stone!"

"The what?" said the other three.

She pushed the book toward them, and they read: _The ancient study of alchemy is concerned with making the Sorcerer's Stone, a legendary substance with astonishing powers. The stone will transform any metal into pure gold. It also produces the Elixir of Life, which will make the drinker immortal._

_There have been many reports of the Sorcerer's Stone over the centuries, but the only Stone currently in existence belongs to Mr. Nicolas Flamel, the noted alchemist and opera lover. Mr. Flamel, who celebrated__ his six hundred and sixty-fifth birthday, last year, enjoys a quiet life in Devon with his wife, Perenelle._

"See?" said Hermione, when Harry and Ron had finished. "The dog must be guarding Flamel's Sorcerer's Stone! I bet he asked Dumbledore to keep it safe for him, because they're friends and he knew someone was after it, that's why he wanted the Stone moved out of Gringotts!"

"A stone that makes gold and stops you from ever dying!" said Ron. "No wonder Snape's after it! Anyone would want it."

Ariel's eyes narrowed. "I know Snape, he would never-"

"Oh enough already Ariel." Ron said, crossing his arms, "Everything points to him; Halloween, his leg. I mean, you _saw_ what he was doing at the Quidditch match-"

"It's not him Ron." Ariel shot him a cold look that caused Ron to take a step back.

"Hey, I'm just-"

"I don't want to talk about it anymore." Ariel slammed the large book shut and made her way to her bed. It wasn't Snape, it couldn't be. He didn't care about things like immortality. It was silly, almost, thinking of her dad as some kind of thief in the night. No, it most certainly wasn't Snape.

_Then who was it?_

Somehow, Gryffindor had won the Quidditch match that Snape has refereed. Harry had nearly hit the git trying to catch the Snitch, and couldn't help laughing as he watched him glower after game.

He'd stayed behind in the locker room, taking in everything that had happened today. Ron had a heavy nosebleed as the Gryffindor team had lifted Harry onto their shoulders; he'd had to ask him about that later.

As he exited the locker room, he saw Snape hurrying down the front steps of the castle. Snape, sneaking into the forest while everyone else was at dinner? What was going on? Harry jumped back on his Nimbus Two Thousand and took off. Gliding silently over the castle he saw Snape enter the forest at a run. He followed. The trees were so thick he couldn't see where Snape had gone. He flew in circles, lower and lower, brushing the top branches of trees until he heard voices. He glided toward them and landed noiselessly in a towering beech tree. He climbed carefully along one of the branches, holding tight to his broomstick, trying to see through the leaves. Below, in a clearing, stood Snape, but he wasn't alone. Quirrell was there, too. Harry couldn't make out the look on his face, but he was stuttering worse than ever. Harry strained to catch what they were saying.

"... d-don't know why you wanted t-t-to meet here of all p-places, Severus..."

"Oh, I thought we'd keep this private," said Snape, his voice icy. "Students aren't supposed to know about the Sorcerer's Stone, after all."

Harry leaned forward. Quirrell was mumbling something. Snape interrupted him.

"Have you found out how to get past that beast of Hagrid's yet?"

"B-b-but Severus, I-"

"You don't want me as your enemy, Quirrell," said Snape, taking a step toward him.

"I-I don't know what you-"

"You know perfectly well what I mean."

Almost falling out of the tree, Harry steadied himself in time to hear Snape say, "-your little bit of hocus-pocus. I'm waiting."

"B-but I d-d-don't-"

"Very well," Snape cut in. "We'll have another little chat soon, when you've had time to think things over and decided where your loyalties lie."

Harry flew back to the castle and up to the Gryffindor Tower. Ron, Hermione, and Ariel met him with praises, but he quickly cut them off and told them what he'd just seen.

"This proves it! This proves Snape's after it!" Ron nearly yelled. Hermione quickly shushed him and Ariel looked like she was on the verge of tears.

"Ron, back off." Hermione snapped. "Do you have any-"

"It has to be Quirrell." Ariel said quietly.

The three first year's mouths dropped.

"Ariel, I _just _heard him. _Snape _was asking to Quirrell to find a way around Fluffy-"

"Why would Snape need a dark arts spell? Everyone in the school knows he's after the defense job. It sounds to me like he was threatening Quirrell to _stay away-_"

"She's in bloody denial" Ron muttered.

"Shut up Ron." Ariel snarled, "I might be furious with him, but he would never pull something like this."

"How do you know that?" Ron shot back and Ariel exploded.

"_BECAUSE HE'S MY FATHER, YOU IDIOT. I DON'T CARE IF YOU THINK HE'S A BASTARD OR A GREASY GIT OR WHATEVER, BUT HE WOULD NEVER TRY A MURDER A STUDENT AND STEAL SOME BLOODY STONE OF IMMORTALITY."_

Flying out of the tower, she darted to the dungeons. Snape was making his way down as well and Ariel ran to catch up with him, yelling as she went.

"Professor!" No answer. "_Professor!"_

Snape whirled around, his black robes swishing around him. Something flashed in his eyes for a moment before they turned into stone cold marbles.

"Go to back to your dormitory, Miss. Potter. It's nearly curfew."

"I need to talk to you."

"Now is not the time. _Go_."

"Please, it's important-"

"Go discuss it with your Head of House, then. Goodnight." He was about to slam the door to his quarters when Ariel yelled the first thing that came to mind.

"I know about the Sorcerer's Stone."

Panic ripped across Snape's face, closely followed by anger and confusion, and finally, a cold glare. He quickly grabbed Ariel and threw her into the room.

Slamming the door closed, he quickly put up several silencing spells. Ariel began to ask why, but he held up his hand. She stood quietly and wondered why she bothered to say anything. This had been another really bad idea on her part.

Snape finally spun around to face her. He looked like he was trying very hard to keep his emotions under control, but wasn't doing so successfully. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he closed his eyes and slowly leaned against his desk, waving for Ariel to sit. She sat.

He opened his eyes. "I don't even know where to begin with you, Ariel. You ignore me for _weeks_ for your brother's sake," he sneered on the word _brother_, "Then accuse me of trying to _murder _Potter, and now, you barge into my office once again to tell me you know about the stone."

Ariel was very quiet for a moment. She hadn't heard anything he'd said after snarling about Harry. She wanted to leave, this had been a mistake. "If that's how you're going to speak about Harry, then I don't want to talk to you."

Snape gave her an exasperated look. "This cannot go on; it _will not_. We need to come to some kind of consensus."

"I gave you an opportunity to make things right- you refused-"

"Gluing me to my seat and demanding I act civil is not _giving me an opportunity-"_

"Well you obviously weren't going to do it on your own." Ariel snapped, gripping the sides of her chair.

"He wasn't making it easy for himself, he can be as arrogant as-"

"As who?" Ariel's eyes narrowed, goading her father to continue. His lips tightened as something once again flashed in those dark eyes of his.

The potions master was very quiet for a minute, as he looked straight into his daughter's eyes. They were as black as his, but sparkled with yearning and puzzlement. He knew what he had to do in order to end the silence between them, although it was something he hadn't done since he'd held Lily the night she had died.

"I'm sorry." he kneeled down, awkwardly staring at the girl's shoes "I have been wrong to act in such a manner towards your brother. It was never my intention to upset you," he hesitated, he couldn't believe he was saying this, "or your brother. My behavior is inexcusable and unjustifiable."

She stared back in shock for what seemed like hours. _He was admitting he was wrong?_ She hadn't expected this. Maybe a promise of redemption, but not a confession. The girl's arms were around him the moment he uttered the words. She clung to him tightly, and he returned the embrace, his throat tightening. "I forgive you, Dad." she whispered, and his eyes closed in relief. This moment was long overdue.

Finally releasing her, he stood up and guided her towards the couch, where he summoned hot chocolate and biscuits. She gave him an appreciative smile, grabbing a mug.

"So, now that _that's_ settled, I guess you wanna hear about how I knew about the stone?" she smirked, and his expression hardened.

"Ariel, this is not a joke, the stone is a serious matter. I need you tell me everything." Snape said sternly.

Ariel gulped. _Everything? _Surely she didn't have to tell him _the whole thing_. She'd broken so many school rules that she'd lost track over the past several months. Scrambling to pull her thoughts together, she told Snape "everything", minus the several midnight excursions. He could live without knowing those. As she talked, it was obvious he was trying very hard to stay calm, especially when she mentioned her running into Fluffy.

His face had become pale when Ariel told him that Harry and the others assumed he was trying to steal the stone him due to his horrid demeanor the past couple of weeks, soon turning a light shade of green when she admitted she had suspected him for a moment when she saw him at the first Quidditch match of the season, but reassured him she believed him when she'd spoken to him later that day.

"So, when I figured it wasn't you, I thought about what Harry said about your meeting with Quirrell in the forest. Obviously he wasn't my first choice, the man jumps at his own shadow, but I couldn't help thinking that maybe you were warning him to stay away…" Ariel looked up, her eyes meeting a dumbfounded Snape.

_She was right."_I knew it." she whispered. So then, what did Quirrell want with the stone? Immortality? Was his fear of vampires so severe he wanted the stone to protect himself?

"Ariel, listen to me." her father was stone-faced once more, "You must promise me you'll stay away from the stone. No more adventures or research. This matter concerns the headmaster, not you or your friends."

"Is Quirrell after the stone?" she already knew the answer, but decided to test the waters.

He hesitated, "I don't know."

"Then why were you-"

"I have my suspicions, Ariel, as does the headmaster. You need to trust that he knows what's best."

"What does he want with it? What will happen if he gets it?"

"I cannot answer either of those questions, but I can assure you that will not happen."

Ariel sighed. "Is there _anything _you can tell me?"

Snape moved closer and cradled her face in his hands. "_Ariel. Listen to me."_ he said firmly, "You _must _promise me you will stay away from it. If Quirrell or someone else is truly after the stone, they will stop at nothing to get it. They will not show mercy because you are children. Promise me you'll stop this. Please."

What should she do? She wasn't going to stop, she knew that. The second she left the dungeons she was going to tell her brother and friends what Snape had told her. But her father was practically begging her to stop trying to solve the mystery. He'd kill her if she broke this promise, but how could she refuse? _"Sorry dad, I can't promise, I'm planning on stopping Quirrell if and when the time comes!"_

"I promise." she whispered, feeling guilty already. He pulled her close and she curled into his lap. It had certainly been a long time since they'd talked; even longer since she'd lain in his lap like this. She stopped herself from getting up and claiming for was too old for this.

For the moment, she was perfectly content.

Snape gazed at his daughter, sound asleep on the couch. It had been such a long time since she'd slept in his quarters, and even though the man reveled in his solitude, he was grateful that she was finally back.

She'd practically given him a heart attack when she stated boldly that she knew about the stone. Should he really have been surprised? Ariel had a natural talent for getting into things she shouldn't, and it wasn't too farfetched to think that her brother was the same. Or their friends. _"There's the James in them" _he rolled his eyes bitterly.

As soon as he was sure Ariel was completely sound asleep, he moved to the fireplace.

"Headmaster? Are you there?" he said quietly to the green flames.

A moment passed before he received a response. "Yes, my boy. Is there something you need?"

"I have some important information I'd like to discuss with you. May I come through?"

"Of course, Severus. You needn't ask."

Dumbledore always insisted that Snape just "pop in" whenever need be, but always found himself asking beforehand. It would drive him mad if the old coot simply stopped by whenever _he_ wanted.

Stepping out of the fireplace, Snape found Dumbledore at his desk. "What can I do for you Severus?"

"My daughter just came to me and informed me that she and her friends have knowledge of the stone, and that Quirrell is after it."

"She's speaking to you again?" Dumbledore raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"Really Albus?" Snape growled. This was not the time or place.

"My apologizes, dear boy. I wasn't expecting her to reveal such secrets to you. At least not yet-"

"Wait a moment. What do you mean _not yet_?" he glared for a moment before his jaw dropped in realization, "Have you known about their little mystery this whole time?"

"Well of course. Who do you think it was that gave Harry the invisibility cloak in the first place-"

"_An invisibility cloak?"_ Ariel had left _that _little detail out.

"She didn't mention that, did she?" Dumbledore chuckled, standing up to come and leaned against the front of his desk.

"Albus, how many times have I said my daughter was not to be part of your little _'experiments'_. She's just a _child_-"

"She was never in any danger. I would-"

Snape was in the fireplace before Dumbledore could finish his sentence. Shaking with fury, he hurriedly floo'd back to his quarters. Ariel was still asleep, to his relief. The _bloody_ headmaster and his _bloody_ road to _bloody_ glory. Snape was more than willing to sacrifice himself if need be, he had to for Lily, but there was no way in hell he was going to let Ariel suffer. Not if he could help it.

He walked over quietly and studied her for a moment. She'd grown, at least a quarter of an inch since school started. Her hair was longer too, and her face was slightly narrower, less round. She looked older. And tired. He wondered if she'd been having nightmares. The Occlumency had stopped them from what she had told him that last time he'd ask, but that was before school had started. He promised himself he would keep a closer eye on her. She was bound to not like it, but he wasn't going to let anything happen to her. Not under his watch.

Gently gathering the girl into his arms, he laid her down in her bed, gently pulling the covers over her. It was late, and although he usually fought against it, he was exhausted.

He was about to turn off the lights when he heard her murmuring.

"Ariel?" he whispered, returning to her bedside, "What's wrong?"

She was tossing and turning, her eyes closed. She was still asleep.

"Please… please don't. _Don't leave me Dad_." a choked whisper escaped her lips, and Snape stiffened. He couldn't recall her ever having nightmares about _him_.

"I'm right here, child." he shook her lightly. "Wake up, I'm right here."

"Please, promise you'll stay with me. Promise you won't leave." she whimpered, tears escaping her closed eyes.

"_Always."_

Ariel awoke the next morning to find Snape asleep in the chair beside her bed, and a terrible pain in her neck. She must have slept on it wrong again. Stretching, she tried to massage the kink out of her collarbone. Just as she had woken up, she remembered a dark dream, something about Voldemort and a mirror-

It was gone as soon as she remembered she had dreamed at all. She'd been waking up sore and achy lately and wondered if these nightmares were to blame. Snape was probably here because she had woken up in fear, but she had no memory of screaming out in the night.

She slowly crawled out of bed as quietly as she could manage, but it was never enough.

"Going somewhere?" Snape muttered, his eyes still closed.

She hesitated, "Uh, yeah. The loo." She received no response, and dragged herself to the washroom. Her hair was becoming its own separate entity, it looked so untamed. She looked tired as well, and a bit paler that usual. She'd really wanted to go see Harry, but now that her dad was awake she knew he wasn't about to let her just walk out.

He was standing in the kitchen summoning a coffee pot when she walked in, making herself comfortable at the familiar table. She _accio_'d a mug from the counter, nearly missing Snape, who gave her a joking glare.

"Good morning to you too." she chuckled, pouring herself some pumpkin juice, "Sleep well?"

Throwing two pieces of bread into the toaster, he slowly turned. "Did you?"

"I did, actually." she said, trying to ignore her aching neck, "Why did you sleep in the chair?"

She already knew the answer as he hesitated, "You were calling out in your sleep."

"What was I saying?"

"Do you not remember your dream?" his face was blank, as if expecting it all to come rushing back to her any second.

Shaking her head, she repeated the question, "Dad, what was I saying?"

He cleared his throat, "You were calling out for me."

"I was?" she didn't remember dreaming of him at all, "That's odd."

Snape was still giving her that blank look when he sat down, setting the toast down in front of her. She raised an eyebrow at him, and snorted when he returned the expression. He seemed to relax after that while she filled him in on how her classes had been going. She guessed that he'd probably been keeping tabs anyway, but she'd missed telling him about her day. When she was done eating, she decided she should probably go and see Harry now. He needed to know that Snape was innocent.

"I need to go, I promised Harry and Ron I'd help them with a Charms essay this morning." she felt guilty lying so soon after they'd made up, but what was she supposed to say? _See ya Dad, gotta go tell my brother you're not after a stone that gives the bearer immortality!_

He nodded stiffly, and a strange look came over his face Ariel couldn't recognize. She gave him a quick hug before saying "I'll see you tonight!" and running to her dormitory.

Harry and Ron were still asleep when she entered the boy's dormitories.

"_Harry!" _she hissed, shaking him frantically. The boy jolted up, grabbing his glasses from his bedside table.

"What? What happened? Where have you been all night-"

"Snape. He said it was Quirrell. It's Quirrell, Harry."

"He _what_? _You told him!"_ Harry's eyes widened in horror.

"I had to, Harry. It was the only way. I told you it wasn't him. He-"

"How do you know he isn't lying, Ariel? I _saw _him when he talked to Quirrell. _Snape _wanted a way around Fluffy."

"Snape wouldn't lie to me like that."

"But-"

"But nothing. And I didn't tell him everything, for your information, but I told him enough."

Harry was quiet for a moment before he spoke. "Are you completely sure it's not him?"

"I've never been so sure of anything in my life."

"Are you _positive_-"

"_Harry!"_

Sighing, Harry rubbed his eyes, "Fine, Ariel. I believe you. But what are we gonna do about Quirrell then?"

She blinked, "I thought that was pretty obvious. We make sure he doesn't get the stone."

"But if Snape knows-"

"We'll just have to be more careful." she interrupted, "I needed to prove he wasn't the one after it. He doesn't know about the cloak or how we broke into the library the other night."

Harry sighed again and threw his legs over the side of the bed, "Let's go wake up Ron and Hermione and tell them. We can fill Damon in at breakfast."

The following weeks were quiet. There were no more midnight excursions due to them falling asleep before ten o'clock every night. The schoolwork was piling up with exams soon approaching. Snape had been treating Harry a little better, and by that, meaning he wasn't speaking to Harry at all. He had figured that if the professor truly couldn't keep his- _thoughts_ to himself than maybe it was better to just not say anything at all. Ariel wasn't thrilled with that, but decided to let it go for the time being. She'd sort that out in time.

Speaking of Snape, he seemed to be everywhere. It was almost like he was following them, even during times when he should be teaching. The students were so used to him staying in the dungeons that when he unexpectedly rounded a corner or entered the courtyard, they all scattered. This also made it impossible for Ariel and Harry to plan any daytime expeditions without fearing the Snape would overhear. Ariel had promised him she would stay away, but she couldn't. There was something else about the stone, something more than just immortality for Quirrell. She could feel it.

The fact that Quirrell was the culprit was distracting as well. DADA was never a fun class, although Ariel found the content fascinating, but Quirrell never taught. He simply sat at his desk while the class read from their textbooks, and Ariel took this time to brainstorm.

"I just don't see it. The guy's afraid of _everything_. Do you see the way he acts around Fred and George? He's terrified they'll prank him again!" Damon said one class, keeping his voice low. Quirrell was shakily grading _another _test on vampires the second years had taken yesterday.

"Maybe it's just an act?" Ariel was in the middle of writing a Transfiguration essay she'd fall asleep in the middle of writing the night before.

"An act? I can't see Quirrell acting any other way. What did you say Snape said again?"

"He didn't outright say it was Quirrell, but I saw his face. He suspects him."

"We gotta figure out a way to make sure it's him, create some kinda plan." he looked up thoughtfully.

"How are we gonna do that? My dad's on top of me all the time now. We just gotta wait until the time is right." she whispered. Quirrell was handing back papers now.

"Time is right?"

"Until he tries to steal the stone again."

Ariel had thrown herself into her studies with Damon, until one night, Harry, Ron, and Hermione burst into the library.

"Hagrid has a dragon!" Ron whispered excitedly and Hermione shot him a look.

"A _what_?" said Damon, shaking his head, "He can't. Dragons are illegal. Especially on school grounds."

"Well he does. Its name is Norbert-"

"But we've already decided it can't stay." Hermione interrupted, "Ron is going to write to Charlie and ask him to take it; _Norbert _has been here far too long anyway. Hagrid was upset, but it's for the best."

"Wait, Hagrid's _had _it? Why didn't he tell me?" Ariel said, feeling a little hurt.

"We've just found out ourselves." Harry explained, "Hermione just spent the past couple of hours convincing him to let Ron write to his brother. He really doesn't want to give him away, but if someone finds out-"

"It's for the best." Hermione interjected again, shoving a piece of parchment and a quill at Ron, "Get writing."

"There's just one problem." Harry said, crossing his arms, "Malfoy knows. He saw it."

Damon's ice blue eyes flashed at the mention of his cousin's name and stood up. "I'll tell the little imp to piss off, don't worry."

Charlie wrote back sooner than expected, more than willing to take the dragon, telling them to meet them on midnight Saturday. Malfoy however, had been more of a problem than Damon thought.

Walking to potions three days later, Malfoy ran to catch up with Ariel.

"Oi, Potter, wait!" the young Slytherin called. She quickened her strides and clenched her teeth. What did _he _want?

"_Potter! _I said _wait! _Or do you want me to tell your father about-"

She stopped short, and Malfoy ran right into her. Spinning around, she grabbed the boy by the collar.

"_Don't threaten me, Malfoy." _she hissed. His eyes turned into slits as a grin crept across his face.

"Give me your copy of your first year potions textbook and I'll forget about the dragon." he whispered back, the grin widening.

"You want my potions textbook? What the bloody hell for?"

Malfoy rolled his eyes, "Everyone knows you're brilliant at potions. I want to see your notes. I'm doing horribly, despite how lenient Snape can be."

_Snape, lenient? Had hell frozen over? _She sighed, "Fine. _Accio potion textbook!"_ she held out her arm, waiting impatiently until the book flew into her hand.

"Not a word, Malfoy, got it?"

He rolled his eyes and walked away, a spring in his step. Ariel rolled her eyes and turned, and suddenly froze.

_Charlie's note was in the textbook._ She'd shoved in it there two days ago, knowing that neither she nor her father would ever touch the book again. It had been a safe spot up until now.

_Crap._


	16. Chapter 16

Her dad was going to kill her.

As Filch dragged Ariel and her friends to McGonagall's office, she felt her stomach twisting in knots. She thought she was going to be sick at first. Of course Malfoy had followed them to the stupid tower where Charlie's friends had taken Norbert, and gotten caught, but they'd forgotten the invisibility cloak, probably giving Filch a reason to celebrate for the rest of the year.

Filch took them down to Professor McGonagall's study on the first floor, where they sat and waited without saying a word to each other. She couldn't see how they were going to get out of trouble this time. How could they have been so stupid as to forget the cloak? There was no reason on earth that Professor McGonagall would accept for their being out of bed and creeping around the school in the dead of night. Add Norbert and the invisibility cloak…

She nearly blanched when Snape exited the office behind McGonagall, wearing his deadliest look. She suddenly felt horrible for Damon, who looked like he was trying to disappear into the chair. Hermione looked petrified while McGonagall looked more likely to breathe fire than Norbert as she towered over the four of them.

"I would never have believed it of any of you. Mr. Filch says you were up in the astronomy tower. It's one o'clock in the morning. Explain yourselves."

There was complete silence. Ariel was scrambling to think of something, but she was drawing a blank.

"I think I've got a good idea of what's been going on," said Professor McGonagall. "It doesn't take a genius to work it out. You fed Draco Malfoy some cock-and-bull story about a dragon, trying to get him out of bed and into trouble. I've already caught him. I'm disgusted. Five students out of bed in one night! I've never heard of such a thing before! Especially you, Miss. Potter. I thought you'd have more sense than that."

She gripped the sides of her chair tightly, avoiding her father's increasing glare.

"All five of you will receive detention and fifty points will be taken from Gryffindor, _each_."

"Fifty?" Harry gasped and Ariel moaned. Their house was going to _kill _them!

"Fifty points each." Professor McGonagall repeated.

"Professor, please!" Ariel begged, "You can't-"

"Don't tell me what I can and can't do, Potter. Now get back to bed, all of you. I've never been more ashamed of Gryffindor students."

"I'll be taking Mr. Malfoy and my daughter, if that's alright with you, Professor McGonagall." Snape said icily as Ariel attempted to fly out of the room. She stopped short and winced. _Please say no, please say no-_

"Very well. But I want them back in one piece; they still have a detention to serve." And with that, she stormed out of the room, slamming her door.

Harry and Hermione quickly exited, avoiding Ariel's pleading look. Taking a deep breath, she gradually turned to face her father and Damon.

"_Walk_."

They practically ran after him, trying to keep up with his long legs. As they entered his office, Damon shot Ariel a panicked look, which she shot back at him. Snape took his seat behind his desk, clasping his hands tightly together, his expression still enraged.

"Mr. Malfoy." he began venomously, and Damon cringed, "I trust you know by now what I expect of my Slytherins, and tonight was a very accurate display of what should be regularly avoided. In all my years of teaching, I have never seen such stupidity. Sneaking out of your house in order to play a prank on a fellow housemate with _Gryffindors_?"

Damon was turning red now, and Ariel shot him another look. Snape was already livid, getting angry would only make it worse.

"You will serve the detention with your fellow 'pranksters' and have earned yourself a month's detention with me as well." Snape hissed, and Damon groaned.

"You are dismissed."

He slowly exited the room as Ariel nodded for him to go. As soon as he shut the door, the man exploded.

"_What in the bloody hell where you thinking_?" he barked, springing up from his chair, "Did you not promise me that you would stay away from the Stone? Or did my ears deceive me?"

"We didn't sneak out for the Stone." she shot back. He balled his fists.

"_No?_ Then what were you doing, Ariel? I'm not an imbecile; I know you weren't trying to make a fool out of Malfoy!"

"That's exactly what we were doing."

"_Do not lie to me_." he roared, and she shrunk back. She couldn't tell him about Norbert without getting Hagrid sacked, but there were no other excuses.

Ariel simply stared back at him, trying to remain as calm as possible. "I'm not lying. We decided prank Malfoy in order to deflate his ego a little bit. It was an idiotic prank. No stone, no Quirrell, just a stupid joke."

Snape had turned purple by the time she'd finished her sentence. She had to calm him down before he gave himself an aneurysm. Giving him her kindest, most sorrowful look, she took a step towards his desk. "I promise we weren't doing anything related to the Stone. We've been stressed with school lately and decided to have a bit of fun. It was wrong and I'm sorry."

He stared intently at her for a moment before his face began to return to a normal shade. Had he really believed her? Relief flooded over her as her father gave a great sigh.

"I raised you better than that, Ariel. What were you thinking?"

"I wasn't." she hung her head. Admission was the only way she was getting out of this. Every part of her was screaming for her to defend herself, but she held it back.

Clearing his throat, Snape sat back down, "You will serve McGonagall's detention. As for the House points, you are all more than deserving of that. May it serve as a reminder before you attempt to pull another stunt like this."

She nodded.

"You may go."

"_Two hundred points lost_" Ariel thought as she lay down in her bed. That put Gryffindor in last place. In one night, they'd ruined any chance Gryffindor had had for the house cup.

Ariel and Harry had been well liked by everyone in the school before the next morning. Passing Gryffindors stopped short as they passed the hourglasses, telling one another that there surely must have been a mistake. When news spread that it had been the Potter kids and two other first years, they were shunned. The House cup had been something Harry had made clear he was looking forward to winning, and was taking this a lot harder than Ariel. Even Ron and Hermione seemed to lose their enthusiasm towards school. Damon had told Ariel that Snape made him scrub out potions jars every night for hours, until every single one was sparkling.

Then, about a week before the exams were due to start, walking back from the library with Harry one afternoon, they heard somebody whimpering from a classroom up ahead. As he drew closer, he heard Quirrell's voice.

"I know what you're up to, Quirrell-" Snape voice snarled and Ariel jumped.

They leaned against the door, but the conversation became muffled. Footsteps approached the door and they flew behind a statue.

A second later, Quirrell came hurrying out of the classroom straightening his turban. Snape soon followed, spotting the children almost immediately. They gulped.

"Come out of there." he snapped, and they obeyed. Harry tripped on his robe, stumbling to the floor. Snape rolled his eyes. "What are you two doing? Didn't I make it clear you were to mind your business?" he was looking directly at Ariel now.

"We weren't!" she protested, "We were just coming back from the library and-"

"Then why were you hiding?" The potions master crossed his arms and began tapping his foot.

"Because of Quirrell!" Harry broke in, "We saw him come out and hid, we didn't want him knowing we'd heard."

Snape looked back and forth between the two of them. "Get out of here. Go to your dormitories and stay there for the rest of the night. I do not want a repeat of this, understand?"

They nodded and the professor stalked away.

The following morning, notes were delivered to Harry, Hermione, Ariel, and Damon at the breakfast table.

They were all the same: Your _detention will take place at eleven o'clock tonight. Meet Mr. Filch in the entrance hall._ -_Professor McGonagall_

At eleven o'clock that night, they said goodbye to Ron in the common room and went down to the entrance hall with Damon. Filch was already there along with Malfoy. Ariel had forgotten that Malfoy had gotten a detention, too.

They marched off across the dark grounds. Ariel wondered what their punishment was going to be. It must be something really horrible, or Filch wouldn't look so delighted.

"Is that you, Filch? Hurry up, I want ter get started." A smile broke out across four of five of the faces; if they were going to be working with Hagrid it wouldn't be so bad. Malfoy stopped dead in his tracks.

"The forest?" he repeated, and he didn't sound quite as cool as usual. "We can't go in there at night, there's all sorts of things in there, werewolves, I heard." Damon barked a laugh.

"That's your problem, isn't it?" said Filch, his voice cracking with glee. "Should've thought of them werewolves before you got in trouble, shouldn't you?" Ariel shot him a nasty look and patted Harry's arm reassuringly. He didn't look as scared as Malfoy, but still looked hesitant.

"Abou' time," Hagrid said as he approached them, Fang by his side, drooling, "I bin waitin' fer half an hour already. All right, Harry, Hermione, Ariel?"

"I'll be back at dawn," said Filch, "for what's left of them," he added nastily, and he turned and started back toward the castle, his lamp bobbing away in the darkness.

Malfoy now turned to Hagrid. "I'm not going in that forest." Ariel rolled her eyes.

"Yeh are if yeh want ter stay at Hogwarts. Yeh've done wrong an' now yehve got ter pay fer it."

"But this is servant stuff, it's not for students to do. I thought we'd be copying lines or something, if my father knew I was doing this-"

"Oh shut up Draco." Damon moaned, "Why do you have to act like your father all the time?"

"If yeh think yer father'd rather you were expelled, then get back off ter the castle an' pack. Go on"'

Malfoy didn't move. He looked at Hagrid and Damon furiously.

"Right then," said Hagrid, "Now, listen carefully, 'cause it's dangerous what we're gonna do tonight, an' I don' want no one takin' risks. Follow me over here a moment."

He led them to the very edge of the forest. Holding his lamp up high, he pointed down a narrow, winding earth track that disappeared into the thick black trees. "Look there," said Hagrid, "see that stuff shinin' on the ground? Silvery stuff? That's unicorn blood. There's a unicorn in there bin hurt badly by summat. This is the second time in a week. I found one dead last Wednesday. We're gonna try an' find the poor thing. We might have ter put it out of its misery."

"And what if whatever hurt the unicorn finds us first?" said Malfoy, unable to keep the fear out of his voice.

"There's nothin' that lives in the forest that'll hurt yeh if yer with me or Fang," said Hagrid. "An' keep ter the path. Right, now, we're gonna split inter two parties an' follow the trail in diff'rent directions. There's blood all over the place, it must've bin staggerin' around since last night at least."

"I want Fang," said Malfoy quickly, looking at Fang's long teeth.

"All right, but I warn yeh, he's a coward," said Hagrid. " So me, Damon, an' Hermione'll go one way an' Draco, Ariel, Harry, an' Fang'll go the other. Now, if any of us finds the unicorn, we'll send up green sparks, right? If anyone gets in trouble, send up red sparks, an' we'll all come an' find yeh"

So Ariel set off into the heart of the forest with Malfoy, Harry and Fang, following the trail of blood Hagrid had pointed out before they began their separate ways. They walked for nearly half an hour, deeper and deeper into the forest, until the path became almost impossible to follow because the trees were so thick. Harry pointed out that he thought the blood seemed to be getting thicker. There were splashes on the roots of a tree, as though the poor creature had been thrashing around in pain close by.

"Look-" he murmured suddenly, holding out his arm to stop them. Something bright white was gleaming on the ground. They inched closer.

It was the unicorn, and it was dead. Ariel felt horrible as she bent down. The creature was breathtakingly beautiful. Its legs were a mangled mess, its mane dirty from the ground. Harry had taken one step toward it when a slithering sound made him freeze where he stood and Ariel's head shoot up. Out of the shadows, a hooded figure came crawling across the ground. Harry, Ariel, Malfoy, and Fang stood transfixed. The cloaked figure reached the unicorn, lowered its head over the wound in the animal's side, and began to drink its blood.

"Harry-" Ariel threw her arm in front of her brother, eyes widening in fear. Her knees began to shake as Malfoy let out a terrible scream and bolted with Fang. The hooded figure raised its head and looked right at Harry and Ariel, unicorn blood was dribbling down its front. It got to its feet and came swiftly toward them. She wanted to scream for them to run, but couldn't find her voice.

Then a pain like she'd never felt before pierced her head; it was as though her scar were on fire. Half blinded, she staggered backward, shrieking in agony. Harry had fallen to his knees as well, and she realized he was holding his scar as well. She heard hooves behind him, galloping, and something jumped clean over Harry, charging at the figure.

The pain in Ariel's head was so bad she fell to her knees. It took a minute or two to pass. When she looked up, the figure had gone. A centaur was standing over Harry.

"Harry-"she croaked, attempting to stand up. She felt very weak.

"Are you all right, children?" said the centaur, pulling Harry to his feet,

"Yes, thank you, what was that?"

The centaur didn't answer. He looked carefully at the two of them, his eyes lingering on the scar that stood out, livid, on both their foreheads. "You are the Potter children," he said. "You had better get back to Hagrid. The forest is not safe at this time, especially for you. Can you ride? It will be quicker this way." They both gaped.

"My name is Firenze," he added, as he lowered himself on to his front legs so that they could climb onto his back. Still in shock over the hooded figure and the searing pain in her forehead, they rode silently.

There was suddenly a sound of more galloping from the other side of the clearing. Two more centaurs broke into the clearing. "Firenze!" the first thundered. "What are you doing? You have a human on your back! Have you no shame? Are you a common mule?"

"Do you realize who they are?" said Firenze. "These are the Potter children. The quicker they leave this forest, the better."

"For the better! What is that to do with us? Centaurs are concerned with what has been foretold! It is not our business to run around like donkeys after stray humans in our forest!"

"Do you not see that unicorn?" Firenze bellowed at Bane. "Do you not understand why it was killed? Or have the planets not let you in on that secret? I set myself against what is lurking in this forest, Bane, yes, with humans alongside me if I must." And Firenze whisked around; with them clutching on as best they could.

Ariel didn't have a clue what was going on.

"Why's the one named Bane so angry?" she asked. "What was that thing you saved us from, anyway?"

"Children , do you know what unicorn blood is used for?"

"No," said Ariel, startled by the odd question. "We've only used the horn and tail hair in Potions."

"That is because it is a monstrous thing, to slay a unicorn," said Firenze. "Only one who has nothing to lose, and everything to gain, would commit such a crime. The blood of a unicorn will keep you alive, even if you are an inch from death, but at a terrible price. You have slain something pure and defenseless to save yourself, and you will have but a half-life, a cursed life, from the moment the blood touches your lips."

Harry turned to look at Ariel. "But who'd be that desperate?" he asked. "If you're going to be cursed forever, deaths better, isn't it?"

"It is," Firenze agreed, "unless all you need is to stay alive long enough to drink something else, something that will bring you back to full strength and power, something that will mean you can never die. Children, do you know what is hidden in the school at this very moment?"

Ariel gasped "The Sorcerer's Stone! Of course, the Elixir of Life! But I don't understand who-"

"Can you think of nobody who has waited many years to return to power, who has clung to life, awaiting their chance?"

It was as though an iron fist had clenched suddenly around Ariel's heart as she cried out in realization.

_No, please no._

"Do you mean," Harry croaked, "that was Vol-"

"Harry, Ariel, are you all right?" Hermione was running toward them down the path, Hagrid gasping for breath along behind her.

"I'm fine," said Harry, hardly knowing what he was saying. "The unicorn's dead, Hagrid, it's in that clearing back there."

Ariel numbly slid off his back. She had barely heard what Hermione and Harry had been saying.

"Good luck, Harry and Ariel," said Firenze. "The planets have been read wrongly before now, even by centaurs. I hope this is one of those times." He turned and galloped back into the forest, leaving Ariel shaking like a leaf.

Harry and Ariel burst into the common room, scaring Ron awake. They quickly told them what Firenze had said, their friend's eyes widening in horror.

"Quirrell wants the stone for Voldemort... and Voldemort's waiting in the forest... and all this time we thought Quirrell just wanted to protect himself from vampires…" Ariel said, her stomach sinking.

"Stop saying the name!" said Ron in a terrified whisper, as if he thought Voldemort could hear them.

Ariel wasn't listening.

"Firenze saved us, but he shouldn't have done so... the other one, Bane I think it was, was furious... he was talking about interfering with what the planets say is going to happen... They must show that Voldemort's coming back... Bane thinks Firenze should have let Voldemort kill us... I suppose that's written in the stars as well." Harry rambled, until Ariel wrapped her arms around him.

"Voldemort's not going to kill us, Harry." she wasn't confident in those words, but didn't want her little brother thinking that.

"Will you stop saying the name!" Ron hissed.

"So all we've got to wait for now is Quirrell to steal the Stone," Harry went on feverishly, "then Voldemort will be able to come and finish us off... "

"Harry-" Ariel's voice cracked.

"Are you gonna tell your dad?" Harry cut her off. He looked very serious, a look Ariel had never seen him wear before. She hesitated.

"I don't know."

Hermione looked very frightened, but she had a word of comfort. "Harry, everyone says Dumbledore's the only one You-Know-Who was ever afraid of With Dumbledore around, You-Know-Who won't touch you two."

"But the centaurs-"

"Fortune telling isn't a foolproof kind of magic-"Ariel interrupted, "I've heard Snape say that it's incredibly unreliable several times."

They went to bed exhausted, their throats sore. Ariel couldn't stop herself from shaking as she lay down. She remembered being afraid of Voldemort returning when she was really little, but had pushed that idea far from her as she'd gotten older. Snape had always reassured her that she was safe. But now Voldemort was _real_, not some distant nightmare. The monster that haunted her dreams was back, lurking in the forest outside the castle. All that stood between some psychotic madman and his rise back to power was herself and her brother.

As that thought hit her, she found herself sobbing.

Exam week was a blur to Ariel. She had reluctantly told Damon what had happened in the forest that night, to his horror. He pleaded with her to tell Dumbledore, but she refused.

"This is my battle, Damon. I have to do this." she threw her books into her bag as she rushed out of the Potions final.

"Says who?!" said Damon incredulously, "Do you really think your dad wants you to fight You-Know-Who. For Merlin's sake, Ariel, you're only a second year. No one expects you-"

"He's back for _me_, Damon. Me _and _Harry. What's the first thing you think he's gonna do once he gets the Stone? We need to be the ones to confront him."

"This is crazy, you're going to get yourselves killed-"

"WELL WHAT ELSE AM I TO DO, DAMON?" she was on the verge of tears at this point.

He was silent as she hurried away from him and back up to her dormitory. She knew Voldemort was coming, and it killing her not knowing when. That is, until she passed by the Staff Room.

"I don't like the idea of Dumbledore leaving. With the Stone upstairs, I don't feel comfortable-" McGonagall was saying. Ariel thought Flitwick said something back, but didn't stick around to hear.

She found Harry, Ron, and Hermione in the library and frantically told them what she'd just heard.

"Tonight, it's going to happen tonight. Dumbledore's gone, this is Quirrell's chance." she finished. Beginning to lose sensation in her legs, she sat down. Harry gave her a knowing look, and he took a deep breath.

"We're going to go there tonight and try to get the Stone first."

Ron and Hermione looked horrified. "You're both mad!" Hermione whispered, her voice shaky.

"What else are we to do? If Voldemort gets the Stone-" Ariel trailed off. The possibilities were actually endless.

"But if you're caught, you'll both be expelled!" she practically yelled, gaining the attention of several Slytherins, who snickered. Ron shushed her frantically.

"If Voldemort comes back, being expelled will be the least of our worries. You know that."

Everyone was very quiet for a moment.

"We're coming with you." said Hermione, in a very small voice.

"We are?" Ron's eyes widened.

"You-you guys don't have to. This is our battle, not yours." Harry assured.

"Don't be ridiculous. We're coming." Hermione wasn't going to budge, and Ariel gave her a small smile.

"Well, that's it then."

As Ariel and Harry walked into the final chamber, she braced herself. Quirrell, or Voldemort, or both were waiting for them. Gripping her wand tightly with one hand, she grabbed her brother's hand with the other.

"Ariel, before we go in, I-" he hesitated, "What if it is Snape? What do we do?"

"It's not. We're not going there." she whispered. She knew it was Quirrell. It had to be. "Just stall him as long as you can."

They slowly entered the room. She knew the face that stood before them.

"You!" gasped Harry. Even though her hands had gone numb, Ariel felt relieved. She had been right.

Quirrell smiled. His face wasn't twitching at all.

"Me," he said calmly. "I wondered whether I'd be meeting you here, Harry and Ariel."

"But how? Snape had-"

"Severus?" Quirrell laughed, "Yes, Ariel, you dear father does seem the type, doesn't he? So useful to have him swooping around like an overgrown bat. Next to him, who would suspect p-p-poor, st-stuttering P-Professor Quirrell?"

Ariel grinded her teeth and snarled.

"But Snape tried to kill me!" Harry blurted out. Ariel gave her brother an annoyed look. Why was he talking about this _now_?

"No, no, no. I tried to kill you. Your friend Miss Granger accidentally knocked me over as she rushed to set fire to Snape at that Quidditch match. She broke my eye contact with you. Another few seconds and I'd have got you off that broom. I'd have managed it before then if Snape hadn't been muttering a countercurse, trying to save you."

"Snape was trying to save me?"

"I told you." Ariel muttered, and Quirrell turned his gaze to her.

"Of course," said Quirrell coolly. "Why do you think he wanted to referee your next match? He was trying to make sure I didn't do it again. Funny, really... he needn't have bothered. I couldn't do anything with Dumbledore watching. All the other teachers thought Snape was trying to stop Gryffindor from winning, he did make himself unpopular... and what a waste of time, when after all that, I'm going to kill you both tonight. Tell me, Ariel, do you think your _father_ will mourn you? He does confuse me, taking in the daughter of James Potter…" Quirrell snapped his fingers. Ropes sprang out of thin air and wrapped themselves tightly around Harry and Ariel. "You're both too nosy to live. Now, wait quietly, you two. I need to examine this interesting mirror."

Ariel began squirming, crying out in pain when the ropes tightened themselves around her. Attempting to grab her wand, she breathed when she felt the wood in between her fingers.

"This mirror is the key to finding the Stone," Quirrell murmured, tapping his way around the frame. "Trust Dumbledore to come up with something like this... but he's in London... I'll be far away by the time he gets back..."

"We've got to keep him talking." she breathed to Harry, and he nodded.

"I saw you and Snape in the forest -" he blurted out.

"Yes," said Quirrell idly, walking around the mirror to look at the back. "He was on to me by that time, trying to find out how far I'd got. He suspected me all along. Tried to frighten me, as though he could, when I had Lord Voldemort on my side..." Quirrell came back out from behind the mirror and stared hungrily into it. "I see the Stone... I'm presenting it to my master... but where is it?"

They struggled against the ropes binding them, but they didn't give. Ariel was scrambling to think of a spell she could use, but had to keep Quirrell from giving his whole attention to the mirror.

"But Snape always seemed to hate me so much." Harry continued.

"Oh, he does," said Quirrell casually, "heavens, yes. He was at Hogwarts with your father, didn't you know? They loathed each other. But he never wanted you dead."

Ariel had frozen. Snape hated her father?

"What do you mean he hated my real father?" Ariel yelled, glaring at the back of Quirrell's turban.

Quirrell turned and gave her an amused look. "Did dear old dad never tell you? Oh yes, your biological father and Snape had quite a rivalry. That's why he hates your brother so much; he's the spitting image of him."

Her heart suddenly felt as if it was being ripped from her chest. Quirrell cursed under his breath.

"I don't understand... is the Stone inside the mirror? Should I break it?"

Ariel's mind was racing.

Harry tried to edge to the left, to get in front of the glass without Quirrell noticing, but the ropes around his ankles were too tight: he tripped and fell over. Her head swimming, she suddenly felt her wand fly out of her hand and into Quirrell's, who immediately went back to the mirror. Quirrell ignored her as she yelled for him to give it back. He was still talking to himself. "What does this mirror do? How does it work? Help me, Master!"

And to Ariel's horror, a voice answered, and the voice seemed to come from Quirrell himself

"Use the girl… Use the boy..."

"Yes, you two, come here." He clapped his hands once, and the ropes binding them fell off. "Come here," Quirrell repeated. "Look in the mirror and tell me what you see."

A look of pure shock passed over Harry's face as he looked into the mirror. Ariel turned and looked as well, knowing she'd have to lie if the stone appeared. To her surprise, Harry's reflection was waving a sapphire colored stone gleefully, and then proceeded to place it in his pocket.

"I see myself shaking hands with Dumbledore," Harry stuttered. "I- I've won the house cup for Gryffindor."

"_Fuck._" Quirrell hissed, "What about you girl? What do you see?"

"My family." Ariel gave him her iciest glare, grabbing Harry's arm protectively.

"They lie... They lie..." the voice came from Quirrell again, and the two children stepped back.

"Tell me the truth! What did you just see?" Quirrell shouted.

"Let me speak to them... face-to-face..."

"Master, you are not strong enough!" _Master?_

"I have strength enough... for this..."

Ariel's screamed filled the chamber as the turban was unwound. Where there should have been a back to Quirrell's head, there was a face, the most terrible face Ariel had ever seen. It was chalk white with glaring red eyes and slits for nostrils, like a snake. She recognized it from the dreams of the green light and her mum's scream; this was Voldemort.

"Potters..." it whispered, "See what I have become? Mere shadow and vapor ... I have form only when I can share another's body... but there have always been those willing to let me into their hearts and minds... Unicorn blood has strengthened me, these past weeks... you saw faithful Quirrell drinking it for me in the forest... and once I have the Elixir of Life, I will be able to create a body of my own... Now... why don't you give me that Stone in your pocket, Harry?"

"_Run Harry_!" Ariel shrieked, pushing her brother towards the door.

"Don't be a fool, girl," snarled the face. "Better save your own life and join me... or you'll meet the same end as your parents... they died begging me for mercy..."

"LIAR!" Harry shouted. Quirrell was walking backward at him, so that Voldemort could still see them. The evil face was now smiling.

"How touching..." it hissed, "I always value bravery... yes, children, your parents were brave... I killed your father first; and he put up a courageous fight... but your mother needn't have died... she was trying to protect you... now give me the Stone, unless you want her to have died in vain."

"Never!" Ariel sprang forward and grabbed her wand.

Ariel felt Quirrell's hand close on her wrist. At once, a needle-sharp pain seared across Ariel's scar; her head felt as though it was about to split in two; she heard Harry yell and pounce onto Quirrell, his hands reaching around the professor's neck. Quirrell released her and the pain in her head lessened- she looked around wildly to see where Quirrell had gone, and saw him hunched over in pain, looking at his hand, the other still wrapped around her brother.

"THROW ME THE STONE!" she screamed, and Harry did so. Grasping it, she pointed her wand at Quirrell.

Harry ripped free of the professor's grasp and bolted to her side.

"Seize her! SEIZE HER!" shrieked Voldemort again, and Quirrell whipped out his wand and screamed a spell Ariel had never heard before.

"_Crucio!" _

The pain in her forehead suddenly seemed like a minor scrape compared to what she was feeling. Every fiber, every atom of her being was on fire, no, worse than fire. There wasn't a single word that could describe it. Her bones were melting, her skin stretching, her head was exploding. How was she still thinking? She thought she heard herself screaming in agony. Harry was standing over her, screaming her name, but he seemed a million miles away….

It suddenly stopped after what seemed to be years, and Ariel began to cough uncontrollably. She couldn't breathe.

"Now kill her, fool, and be done!" screeched Voldemort.

Quirrell raised his hand to perform a deadly curse, but Harry, by instinct, pounced once again and grabbed Quirrell's face. "_Stay away from my sister you-"_

"AAAARGH!"Ariel watched as Quirrell rolled off him, his face blistering now as well, and Ariel felt herself being pulled away.

"Harry-" she croaked, trying to call for her brother. She wanted to say goodbye, this was it. Oh, god, what would her father think?

Arms were suddenly around her as the darkness engulfed her, but she still heard voices.

"_Ariel, Merlin, no. Wake up." A broken sob came from the voice. "Ariel please. Dumbledore-"_

_Dumbledore?_

"_-said something, 'Crucio'-" _

"_No. No please no."_

"_Severus-"_

"_Please."_

Ariel felt herself stir as the voices returned.

"You nearly were, I couldn't have kept him off the Stone much longer -"

"Not the Stone, boy, you and your sister -the effort involved nearly killed you both. For one terrible moment there, I was afraid it had. As for the Stone, it has been destroyed."

Someone hissed at that statement and Ariel heard the headmaster sigh. "Severus, please."

Her eyes flipped open at the sound of her father's name, squinting at the bright light. "Dad?" she coughed, and almost immediately, a pair of hands were cupping her face.

"Ariel?" her father's voice had never sound so relieved, "Ariel, can you hear me?"

"Yes." she opened her eyes a little more now that they were adjusting. Her entire body felt achy, like she had just run eight hundred miles straight. And then lifted weights for a week. And then run some more. She couldn't tell if it hurt or not.

Finally looking at her father, she was taken aback by his appearance. He looked haggard, his hair a worse mess than usual, and his coal black eyes screaming for sleep.

"Are you in pain?" he began looking her over, as if it was going to make itself present on her skin.

"No, no I'm fine." she reassured him, "Just sore."

"As to be expected." Dumbledore's voice said, and Ariel looked over. Dumbledore was sitting at the edge of the bed next to her, where another patient lay-

"_HARRY!"_ she cried, ripping off her covers to go to him. Snape grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back as she squirmed.

"You need to stay in bed." he said gently as she began to protest. She stopped; he already looked exhausted, she didn't want to push it.

Her brother grinned widely at her. "Welcome back."

"'Welcome back?'" she said, confused, "How long have I been out?"

"Three days." the headmaster replied, "You're brother just woke up himself. I was just answering some questions about what happened before you're- er- _incident._"

Her face must have given everything away as the memories came flooding back. Snape's expression hardened as he sat himself down on Ariel's cot.

"The- the stone! What happened? Did Voldemort-"

"The stone is safe. It has been destroyed."

"_Destroyed_?!"

"I was just finishing up this subject with your brother, actually. But yes, the stone has been destroyed, Voldemort has fled, and Quirrell is dead."

Ariel flinched at those last words.

"Sir?" said Harry. "I've been thinking... sir, even if the Stone's gone, Vol-, I mean, You-Know- Who -"

"Call him Voldemort, Harry. Always use the proper name for things. Fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself."

"Yes, sir. Well, Voldemort's going to try other ways of coming back, isn't he? I mean, he hasn't gone, has he?"

"No, Harry, he has not. He is still out there somewhere, perhaps looking for another body to share... not being truly alive, he cannot be killed. He left Quirrell to die; he shows just as little mercy to his followers as his enemies. Nevertheless, Harry, while you may only have delayed his return to power, it will merely take someone else who is prepared to fight what seems a losing battle next time, and if he is delayed again, and again, why, he may never return to power."

Harry was quiet and Ariel cleared her throat. "Sir, there are some other things I'd like to know, if you can tell me... things I want to know the truth about..." She grabbed Snape's hand and he gave her a concerned look.

"The truth." Dumbledore sighed. "It is a beautiful and terrible thing, and should therefore be treated with great caution. However, I shall answer your questions unless I have a very good reason not to, in which case I beg you'll forgive me. I shall not, of course, lie."

"Well... Voldemort said that he only killed my mother because she tried to stop him from killing me. But why would he want to kill me in the first place?"

Snape gave the old wizard such a violent look that it caused both Ariel and Harry to flinch. Dumbledore sighed very deeply this time.

"Alas, the first thing you ask me, I cannot tell you. Not today. Not now. You will know, one day... put it from your mind for now, the both of you. When you are older... I know you hate to hear this... when you are ready, you will know."

"But why couldn't Quirrell touch Harry or me?"

"Your mother died to save you. If there is one thing Voldemort cannot understand, it is love. He didn't realize that love as powerful as your mother's for you leaves its own mark. Not a scar, no visible sign... to have been loved so deeply, even though the person who loved us is gone, will give us some protection forever. It is in your very skin. Quirrell, full of hatred, greed, and ambition, sharing his soul with Voldemort, could not touch you for this reason. It was agony to touch a person marked by something so good."

Ariel let out a sob as she dried her tears on the sheet. She couldn't bring herself to speak again. Harry was crying silently as well, but asked, "And the invisibility cloak - do you know who sent it to me?"

"Ah - your father happened to leave it in my possession, and I thought you might like it." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "Useful things... your father used it mainly for sneaking off to the kitchens to steal food when he was here."

Ariel and Harry both gave a hesitant look to Snape, whose face was blank, looking at the floor.

"And there's something else..."

"Fire away."

"Actually, I wanted to ask you, something, Professor Snape. If that's alright?"

The man's head shot up as he looked at Harry intently, as if he already knew what he would ask. Ariel covered her mouth with her hand and closed her eyes.

"Quirrell said you hate me because you hated my father. Is that true?"

The room was as silent as a tomb for a moment. The tears were pouring down Ariel's face faster than before as her father cleared his throat.

"It is true that your father and I… did not… _get along_," he nearly spat out the last two words, "But, no, Potter, I don't hate you."

"You don't?" Harry was giving him a puzzled look, as well as Ariel.

"No. You remind me very much of him, and although you never cease you irritate me with your arrogance and Gryffindor pride at times, no, I do not hate you. You are my daughter's brother, I could never."

Harry nodded, giving the professor a look that brought more tears to Ariel's eyes. "Thank you, sir."

Snape nodded and wrapped an arm around Ariel, who leaned into him.

"And sir, there's one more thing..." Ariel said, giving Dumbledore an apologetic smile.

"Just the one?"

"What was the curse Quirrell used on me? '_Crucio' _was it?" she flinched at the memory. The violent expression Snape had worn before was back, and was present on his face and the headmaster's.

"The Cruciatus Curse," Dumbledore said quietly, "I was hoping your brother had been wrong, but you seem to have been showing the signs of someone who had suffered from it. It's one of the three Unforgivable Curses, and inflicts the victim with an unimaginable amount of pain."

"Unforgivable Curses?" she looked up at her father. He looked like he was in agony, and Ariel moved closer to him.

"Another time." he whispered, stroking her hair.

Snape never left her beside the entire time they were both in the hospital wing. They practically begged Madam Pomfrey to let their friends in after two days of them waiting outside the infirmary doors.

"Twenty minutes." she said sternly as Damon, Hermione, and Ron rushed over to them. Snape tried very hard to look engrossed in his book, but Ariel could tell he was listening intently to the tale as they told their friends.

They were allowed to attend the end of the year feast. When Harry and Ariel walked in there was a sudden hush, and then everybody started talking loudly at once. They slipped into a seat between Ron and Hermione at the Gryffindor table and tried to ignore the fact that people were standing up to look at them.

"Another year gone!" Dumbledore said cheerfully. "And I must trouble you with an old man's wheezing waffle before we sink our teeth into our delicious feast. What a year it has been! Hopefully your heads are all a little fuller than they were... you have the whole summer ahead to get them nice and empty before next year starts...now, as I understand it, the house cup here needs awarding, and the points stand thus: In fourth place, Gryffindor, with three hundred and twelve points; in third, Hufflepuff, with three hundred and fifty-two; Ravenclaw has four hundred and twenty-six and Slytherin, four hundred and seventy- two. However, recent events must be taken into account."

The room went very still. The Slytherins' smiles faded a little.

"Ahem," said Dumbledore. "I have a few last-minute points to dish out. Let me see. Yes...first- to Mr. Ronald Weasley...for the best-played game of chess Hogwarts has seen in many years, I award Gryffindor house fifty points."

Gryffindor cheers nearly raised the bewitched ceiling; the stars overhead seemed to quiver. Percy could be heard telling the other prefects, "My brother, you know! My youngest brother! Got past McGonagall's giant chess set!"

"Second- to Miss Hermione Granger... for the use of cool logic in the face of fire, I award Gryffindor house fifty points."

Gryffindors up and down the table were beside themselves , they were a hundred points up.

"Third - to Mr. Harry Potter and Miss. Ariel Potter..." said Dumbledore. The room went deadly quiet for pure nerve and outstanding courage, I award Gryffindor house sixty points… _each_."

The din was deafening. Those who could add up while yelling themselves hoarse knew that Gryffindor had won by five hundred and thirty two points. Fred and George grabbed Ariel and lifted her onto their shoulders, screaming at the top of their lungs. Ariel was crying partly from laughter, and partly from relief.

Someone standing outside the Great Hall might well have thought some sort of explosion had taken place, so loud was the noise that erupted from the Gryffindor table.

The yearly results came around, with Ariel and Hermione receiving the best in the years, and Harry, Ron, and Damon receiving good marks as well.

Soon enough, they were pulling off their wizard robes and putting on jackets and coats and pulling into platform nine and three-quarters at King's Cross Station. Ariel had insisted she ride the train with Harry, much to Snape's protests.

"You must come and stay this summer, both of you. I'll send you an owl." Ron glanced over at Snape, who was leaning against a pole, trying to look as menacing as possible to passing students. "He'll let you, right?" he asked Ariel.

"He better." she playfully glowered, and they laughed.

"Thanks Ron," said Harry, "I'll need something to look forward to."

"Ready, are you?"

It was Uncle Vernon, still purple-faced, still mustached, still looking furious at the nerve of Harry, carrying an owl in a cage in a station full of ordinary people. Behind him stood Aunt Petunia and Dudley.

Ariel's eyes narrowed and felt her blood begin to boil. Before she could stop herself, she was making her way over to Aunt Petunia, shoving Uncle Vernon out of the way.

"So, you told him I was dead, did you?" she snapped, biting her tongue to keep from swearing the woman into oblivion.

The horsey looking woman looked like she had seen a ghost. "You- it can't be-"

"Petunia, darling, what is it? Who is this little tramp?" Vernon had barreled over, dragging Harry with him.

Ariel was about to give them hell when she heard her father's voice behind them.

"That _'tramp_' would be my daughter." Snape looked ready to kill. Dudley shrinked behind his mother as Uncle Vernon turned to address the black-robed man. Ariel smirked and stepped to her father's side.

"And who are _you?_" Vernon bellowed, "You're dressed like _them_… are you one of those freaks?"

"Freaks?" Ariel spat, "The only freaks here are _you, _you stupid-"

Snape hushed her with a look. He was silent for a moment while he glared viciously at the disgustingly large man in front of him.

"Come, Potter." he finally said, "You're coming home with us."


	17. Chapter 17

Snape immediately regretted the words as soon as they were uttered. Everyone's jaws dropped at once.

"S-sir?" Potter stammered. He ripped free from the man's grasp, giving Ariel a questioning look. The obese man's eyes were beginning to look as if they'd pop out of his head any moment, while Petunia Evans seemed to be teetering on the edge of a full blown panic attack. Snape studied her for a moment. She hadn't changed one bit. Still horse-faced, boney, and tight lipped, she looked nothing like Lily. He noticed the recognition in her eyes when he first approached and shot her a menacing look, causing her to stay silent. He was _not _going to have this conversation now.

"Grab your trunk, we're leaving now." Snape blandly motioned to the boy's luggage, while the walrus began sputtering. Ariel gave him a stunned look.

"We are?" Potter and Ariel said together.

Snape rolled his eyes. "Honestly Potter, are you _that _incompetent? I will not leave you with these _people_ another moment. Take your things."

It was true. Even though Dumbledore and McGonagall had placed several spells that kept the Dursleys from causing any more physical harm to the boy, something inside Snape snapped the moment he heard the way they spoke to him. It reminded him of his father, calling him a _freakish, good-for-nothing…_

It seemed that Vernon Dursley had finally found his voice, "Now, see here. You can't just go taking the boy. We're his legal guardians, you have no right-" He was turning an impressive shade of purple and Ariel growled under her breath.

Staring daggers at them, he placed a hand on his daughter's head, "Actually, I can, and I will. Unless you'd like me to involve the wizarding authorities, who I'm sure would _love_ to be informed that the Golden Boy has been treated anything less than royalty, I will be taking him and his sister with me now." Snape was speaking softly, but the malice in his voice spoke volumes. The Dursleys took several steps back.

"What the bloody hell is _that _supposed to mean?" Petunia shot back, staring intently at Snape. There was that recognition in her eyes, and Ariel's face furrowed in confusion for a quick moment.

"It means that you should stop your idiotic ramblings and let Potter come with me. Otherwise, I'll have no choice but to notify _Dumbledore_-"

Petunia's face went stark white at the statement and Snape gave a triumphant smirk, "_Go_. Just go. Take him." She grabbed Dudley's arm and began to drag her son away as Vernon whirled around to face her.

"_Petunia, what are_-"

She was halfway across the station already. The fat man went barreling after her, growling a quick "_Wait here."_ at Harry.

It was Snape's turn to whirl around, "Come, I do not want to be home late tonight."

Ariel was still gaping at her father, walking beside him as Harry struggled to keep up with his trunk and owl. Snape's face was stone cold, as if he was calculating something. She grabbed his arm and tugged. "Do you wanna tell me what just happened?" she began walking backwards, trying to get him to look at her.

"I find it hard to believe that my daughter was not able to comprehend the dialogue."

There was a hint of humor in his voice as Ariel scowled. "Thanks, O Snarky One, but I was actually referring to what caused you to make the decision."

"I was not about to leave a child in the hands of those sad excuses for people, even if it was Potter."

"I can hear you!" the brat huffed from behind, still struggling to carry his luggage.

"Glad to know you're finally listening." Snape rolled his eyes, looking around the station.

"But- but what about the blood wards? And Dumbledore? He's not-" Snape was ignoring her now, leading them behind a wall towards the end of all the platforms. "_Dad_, are you going to-"

"Hush." he hissed, stopping short, causing Ariel to trip over and Harry to run into him. The hooked nose man spun around and glared at the boy, who was trying to calm his now hysterical owl.

"Sorry, sir." he muttered quickly. The snowy owl was screeching, and Snape pinched the bridge between his nose. Eyes closed, he heaved a deep sigh. What in Merlin's name was his doing? _Two children_? How was he going to do this?

Ariel began to ask another question, but Snape cut off her off. "Both of you, listen very carefully to me. We are going to apparate back to Hogwarts, where I will inform the headmaster that I do not want Potter staying with his relatives anymore. It will be up to him where he goes from there, although I am," he cringed slightly, "_willing_ to take him if need be. Is that understood?"

They both nodded, Ariel flashing them both her best smile, while Harry fixed his crooked glasses.

"But sir, why? I mean, the Dursleys have never like me much, but you didn't… you don't need to do this. I'm fine with them, really-" Harry's puzzled look caused another eye roll from Snape.

"Silence, Potter. As much as I dislike you, I'm not about to let you spend another summer with those animals, nor should Dumbledore." Holding out his hands, Snape let out another sigh as Harry's face clouded over in confusion again. "Take my hand, Potter, I will not bite. We need to apparate, and seeing as I am the only one who knows where Hogwarts is located…"

Harry grabbed his hand while Ariel took the other, giving it a tight squeeze. He knew Ariel hated apparating, she had never gotten used to the feeling that it gave her. Snape had mentioned on several occasions that apparition was his preferred way to travel, snorting at Ariel's comparison of apparation to a blender.

Hogwarts soon appeared in front of them. Potter looked like he was going to be sick. Hurrying over to him, Ariel rested her hand on his back. "Are you alright?" she laughed as he shook his head.

"That was horrible."

"It gets better." Ariel reassured him, picking up the owl, whose cage had fallen over, "When I first started, I absolutely hated it. I still do actually, but you get used to it."

"You can apparate?" he asked.

"Yeah, Dumbledore taught me. It's how I got to your house the first day we met." she smirked mischievously.

"_Ahem_." Snape cleared his throat and Ariel turned around. Her father was giving them a very bored, impatient look. "If you two are done, I'd like to get this state of affairs sorted out. So if you don't mind…"

"Sorry, sir." Potter muttered, grabbing his trunk. He had only taken a step or two before Snape gave an irritated sigh.

"_Reducio." _Snape said with a wave of his wand, and Harry's trunk shrunk and fell into her brother's hand.

"Thank you, sir." The boy grinned sheepishly as the potions master turned around, briskly striding towards the castle. Ariel and Potter ran to walk next to him as Ariel began the next set of questions.

"So Harry's going to be staying with us?" she asked excitedly.

"I don't know yet, Ariel. That is for the headmaster to decide."

"But where else can he go? Surely your safe enough, otherwise I wouldn't be with you."

"That's true." Snape agreed, "But he also wants you both separated for your security. I'm not sure it would be wise to have you both stay with me, but I also don't see how you can't."

Potter interrupted before Ariel could reply, "Sir, why were we separated? If Voldemort was gone, why did we still need protection?"

"Because, Potter, there were Death Eaters still at large. Their master had just fallen thanks to the two of you. Although the Ministry was able to round up most of them, the headmaster was confident that there were some that went unnoticed. Therefore, it seemed like the best option at the time to keep you both separate."

Ariel scowled at this while Potter looked even more intrigued, "If you don't mind my asking Professor, why did the headmaster request you to be Ariel's guardian?"

"Actually, I do mind." he said coldly as they reached the front doors to the castle. The trio was silent as they entered the school, quickly making their way to the headmaster's office.

"Chocolate frogs." Snape muttered at the entrance to Dumbledore's office as Ariel snorted. He shot her a look as Potter shushed his owl.

As they entered the office, the headmaster looked up, his delighted smile soon turning into one of confusion when he saw Harry.

"Welcome back." he said to the three of them, "Although, I wasn't expecting to see you, Harry, until the start of term."

"There's been a change of plans, headmaster." Snape crossed his arms, "Potter cannot stay with his relatives. I witnessed the way they spoke to him at King's Cross, as well as my daughter. They're the very worst kind of Muggles and I won't stand for it."

Dumbledore looked absolutely floored, "Severus, you already know that he must go back. The blood wards-"

"-are irrelevant." Snape finished, "He can stay with me if need be, but I will not let him return if he's going to be treated like some freakish burden."

The headmaster had risen from his desk at this point. "Ariel, Harry, please wait outside for a moment." His tone was cheery as always, but the familiar twinkle had disappeared from his eyes.

Ariel gave Snape a worried look as they slowly exited, wordlessly.

As soon as the door shut, Snape took a step forward, "Albus, you know as well as I that he cannot stay there any longer. It's not fair-"

"You saw what happened this year Severus. Voldemort is very much alive, and both children need protection. The blood wards at Petunia Evan's house are Harry's only chance to stay safe."

"_You saw what my daughter showed you_." Snape spat, "How could you allow him to return there? How could you be so blind?"

"I took care of that, as you know. Petunia and her husband cannot touch the boy-" Dumbledore was too calm and it was making Snape angrier.

"But what does that matter if they can still mentally berate him? They hate him, Albus."

The headmaster stood up, still tranquil as ever, and gave Snape a questioning look, "You care for the boy?"

Snape blinked, crossing his arms in front of him. No, he didn't care for the boy. Not in the slightest. Part of him still wasn't sure why he had bothered to take Potter with him. The other part knew that it was because of Ariel; as soon as Vernon Dursley had opened his mouth, Snape knew Ariel would have fought to take Potter away. The situation would have been unavoidable.

That's what he told himself what he answered, "No, I did it for my child."

Dumbledore raised a silvery eyebrow, "For Ariel?"

"You know she would have gone to bloody battle if need be to keep him safe. The boy's uncle called her a tramp at the station and she almost hexed him into another life." He nearly smiled at that. He'd been proud that she'd stood up for herself like that, although he'd never let her know. He kept his face blank as Dumbledore let out a soft chuckle.

"Indeed." He mused, "But alas, the girl cannot keep him safe forever. The protection spells-"

Snape raised his hand, "What if I took them somewhere else? Somewhere no one but you and I knew of, protected with hundreds of wards that would give even the Dark Lord a great deal of trouble."

"You know as well as I that such a place does not exist." Dumbledore placed himself back in his chair, deep in thought.

Snape leaned onto the desk and the headmaster gave him another curious look, "But there is."

Harry was fidgeting in his chair as Ariel threw a Chocolate Frog card at him. "Will you stop? You're coming with us, there's no way the headmaster would say no."

"You don't know that." He muttered, tracing his fingers over the glimmering paper.

Ariel didn't answer for a moment. He was right, she _didn't _know. Dumbledore had made it very clear that he wanted them kept apart for their safety, but Voldemort had found a way into the safest place in the world this past school year. The word "blood wards" began to ring a little hollow in Ariel's ears. She knew Dumbledore would never deliberately try to harm them, but this past school year had been a bit… odd. She remembered when she had woken in the infirmary after collapsing from her visions her first year and hearing Snape shouting at Dumbledore for using her for his "experiments". Is that what had happened this year? If that was the case, and the headmaster had put them in danger, what was the point of the blood wards if Voldemort was going to try and harm them at school anyway?

Her thoughts were cut off when the headmaster's door finally opened, and a stone-faced Snape exited.

"You're coming with us, Potter. Grab your blasted owl." Hedwig was still hooting frantically as Harry stood up. A smile broke out over Ariel's face, and for a moment she thought she might split in two.

"Sir, I-" Harry began but Snape cut him off.

"Not now Potter, I want to be home as soon as humanly possible. It has been a long day."

Ariel ran over to him and wrapped his arms around his waist. "_Thank you_."

She heard Snape grumble a "_you're welcome_" as he ran his hands through her hair. Looking up at him, she grinned and he smirked back.

The headmaster had followed Snape out of the office and gave a deep sigh, "Severus, do let me know if anything should happen. Keep them safe."

Ariel gave a confused look to them both as Snape nodded. Her father quickly turned, his black robes billowing behind him. Harry said a quick goodbye to Dumbledore and Ariel waved to him as they quickly followed Snape down the winding stairs.

Exiting the castle doors once more, Snape stopped and turned to look at the children. "We are not apparating to my home. This summer, we will be staying at a safe house that I resided at during the end of the first wizarding war. It's heavily warded, and only Dumbledore and I know the precise location."

"Why?" Ariel asked, "What's wrong with Spinner's End?"

"I'm taking the two saviors of the wizarding world under my protection. The headmaster needs to make sure that you are both under the highest security imaginable. It may not be as powerful as the blood wards at your aunt's home, but its close enough. Dumbledore will be around later this week to strengthen them." said Snape as they began to make their way into the forest.

Her curiosity and excitement was growing by every passing second. Harry was staying with them and they were going to some mystery location for the summer! "How'd you find this place? Was it yours before the first war started?" Ariel asked, practically bouncing along the thin trail in the woods.

"Stay close." Snape warned, turning to make sure Harry was right behind them, and Ariel turned to glance as well. Harry stared back at them, waiting for them to continue the conversation. "But to answer your question, yes. It has been in my family for many years. I'd only visited once or twice as a boy, and had honestly forgotten about it until the end of the war. It served as a perfect haven." He held out his hands again, and Ariel and Harry grabbed a hold.

For a moment, Ariel didn't realize they had even apparated. They were right back in the woods, although this time, there was no trail. Harry had his hands on his knees, trying to steady himself.

"Honestly Potter, if this is going to happen every time we apparate, we might need to start bringing a paper bag for you." said Snape, a smirk playing on his thin lips. Ariel glared and put her hand on her brother's back.

"You good, Harry?"

"Yeah. It'll just take some getting used to." Harry breathed deeply in and out of his nose for a minute as Snape began tapping his foot impatiently.

"_Mr. Potter-"_

"Sorry, sorry, we're coming." He mumbled, grabbing Hedwig and steadying himself on Ariel's hand.

"Stay close." Snape ordered, "It's easy to get lost in these woods."

They began to walk through what looked to be a swamp. _A swamp, in Britain? Or were they in Scotland? Ireland? "_I thought we were apparating to the safe house?" asked Ariel, carefully selecting her footing.

"There are anti-apparation wards." Snape replied, "We had to apparate a little further away."

The group walked in silence for several moments, taking in the scene around them. There was a large canopy above them, blocking out most of the sunlight, as dark, murky water surrounded them. There was a small wooden bridge up ahead, which Snape went over first before allowing the children to precede. It wasn't until they reached a clearing the Ariel spoke again.

"So is this where we'll be staying every summer then?"

Snape's strides had begun to quicken again. Ariel and Harry were jogging to keep up when Snape replied, "I would believe so, although that's up to the headmaster as well."

"Then as long as I'm with you, we have to go into hiding?" Harry asked from behind.

"I wouldn't call it 'hiding' so much; it's more an extra precaution." Snape didn't even bother turning around.

"Sir, you really don't have to do this. I'm perfectly fine with my aunt and uncle. They were nicer before I started going to Hogwarts and-"

"Shut up, Potter. I'm trying to concentrate." Ariel shot her father another dark look as he waved his wand wordlessly. A thick, golden light sprung out the tip and shot a path through a grove of trees several feet away from them. "Come, it's just through here."

They followed the potions master through and stopped short at the sight of a large cottage. Covered in shade from the large trees, it stood two stories tall, painted a soft yellow. A large, wooden door stood in the entrance, and Ariel could see several large pieces of furniture through the windows. Snape quickly made his way to the front door, whispering several words in Latin neither Ariel nor Harry understood. The door swung open with a loud _creak_, and Snape motioned for the children to enter first.

Once inside, Ariel immediately noticed the enormous stone fireplace to the left, surrounded with three large, beige colored leather couches. A chess table and two chairs stood behind these couches, with book shelves incasing the room. How did her father have _more _books? On her right was a large kitchen, the counters covered in dark marble. A large, round, wooden table with six chairs stood in the middle of the room. The table was covered in even more books, some opened while others lay on the surrounding seats.

A flash of blue suddenly caught her eye as she looked out the back windows. She sprinted forward and breathed out in delight.

A large lake was directly behind the house. Crystal clear and shimmering bright blue, the water glistened and danced, practically beckoning Ariel to come and bask in the sunlight with it. Dragonflies as big as her hand were darting around, and Ariel noticed a doe and two fawns towards the other side of the lake, grazing. She pressed her face against the glass of the window and sighed longingly. Whirling around, her father was wearing an amused look.

"I take it you approve?" He motioned for Harry to hand him the shrunken trunk as Ariel walked back to them.

"Can we go swimming? _Please_?" she pleaded. Harry had caught sight of the lake as well, and was gawking.

"Maybe later, after we've settled in." Snape quickly muttered a spell, and Harry's trunk hit the ground with a loud _BANG_.

"But dad, it's practically _begging _me to go. Just for a couple of minutes." She jutted her bottom lip out as Snape snorted.

"Later." He promised, levitating the luggage upstairs, "Let's get the rooms in order first."

Grumbling under her breath, Harry laughed as they ascended the creaky staircase. Even though the house was breathtakingly beautiful, it was old. It almost seemed like it would fall apart at any given moment.

They stopped at the top of the stairs, a short, narrow hallway in front of them. Snape cleared his throat, "There are four bedrooms. You two may choose of the three on the right, but the one on the left is mine. Heed my warning when I say that if I find either of you," he looked directly at Harry, "in my space, it will not bode well for you. Is that understood?"

Ariel quickly nodded and threw open the first door. A vibrant blue covered the walls, with a queen sized bed covered in pearly sheets and pillows sitting against the far right wall. To her surprise, her trunk and several other of her items were in the room, piled against the bed.

"Dumbledore had everything transported here as we left." Snape explained, "I didn't specify where to put everything, but if this room is not to your liking, we can move everything."

She shook head her, "Its perfect, Dad."

He nodded as she grabbed Harry's hand, "C'mon, let's pick out yours!"

They threw open the second door to find a dark red room with a golden trim, a king sized bed by the far window, covered in similar colors. No one spoke, but the word _Gryffindor_ was present the second they entered.

Rolling his eyes, Snape turned and walked out wordlessly as Ariel laughed. "It's perfect for you, Harry!"

"It is." he breathed, walking towards the center of the room, "I've never had a room this nice before!"

A cardinal called from outside the window and the two children ran over, finding themselves gazing back down at the lake.

"Go ahead." Snape called from behind, "But be careful, I'll be watching."

Bolting into her room, Ariel threw on the one bathing suit she had before dragging Harry to the water front. The water was cool and felt refreshing after the long day. They took turns jumping from the pier in the middle of the lake, racing each other back and forth. Snape never came outside, but watched from the kitchen, a book propped open in front of him. She called to him several times to come and join them, but he waved his hand dismissively at them. After hours of non-stop swimming, they were both thoroughly exhausted, dragging themselves to the shore and collapsing.

"Tha-that was the most fun I've ever had." Harry panted, rolling on his back. Ariel leaned over on her elbow and began tracing patterns in the sand with a small stick.

"Really? Not even at Hogwarts?"

"Well, I mean, I guess. But most of this year was spent trying to figure out the mystery of the Stone." He pointed out.

"Yeah, that's true." She agreed, and they sat in silence for a moment.

"So… what was it like growing up with Snape? I mean, was he a good dad?" Harry asked suddenly.

She looked up at him, his green eyes bursting with questions. "He was great. He's different when he's just with me, in school he's a git, but home, he's… ya know, my dad." She smiled fondly over at the man at the table, completely engrossed with his book now.

Harry nodded and gave a small smirk over at Snape, "So why's he so terrible in school?"

"He says it's because he has a 'reputation' to uphold. I never quite understood it, but sometimes I don't think it's an act. Dad does have a horrid temper, and really does believe most of his students are hopeless." She rolled her eyes as Harry let out a quick laugh.

"So what about you?" she asked. She obviously already knew the answer, but Harry had never really talked about the Dursleys. Dumbledore had constantly reminded her that it was imperative he remain ignorant of the visions, although he never gave a reason as to why. It always seemed that Harry was kept in the dark about a lot of things, which she found unfair. She didn't dare tell him that she knew about the abuse though; he needed to tell her that in her own time. Maybe that time was now.

He glanced up, nervousness flashing through his bright eyes, "What about me?"

"Well, what was Aunt Petunia like? She was mum's sister, after all."

He suddenly seemed very interested in the dirt under his fingernails, "She never liked me much, especially Uncle Vernon. I got most of the chores while Dudley got to play and stuff, his parents were always showering him with compliments and hugs." He made a face, "I got the cupboard under the stairs as my room until a couple of months after I turned ten. Then they started acting weird, like I was a bomb about to go off any second. They stopped giving me chores and telling me how much of a waste of space I was and just ignored me."

"Do you know why?" she prodded, looking him straight in the eye.

"I just guessed it was because they knew my Hogwarts letter was coming soon. They'd never told me about magic or anything; they'd even told me you were dead." He looked down on those last words.

"After I left the day we met, did you ask them about me?"

"No, I was honestly convinced you'd been some kinda dream." He admitted.

"A dream?" she laughed, rolling onto her stomach.

"Yeah, I mean, when Snape showed up and dragged you away and just disappeared…"

"I guess I see what you mean."

Harry was looking behind Ariel now. She turned to see her father walking towards them, his robes billowing dramatically in the wind. She wondered how he wasn't sweltering in this heat.

"I take it you two are ready to come inside?" he asked.

They both nodded, standing, and the three of them made their way into the kitchen for dinner. It was a quiet meal, but not because it was awkward. Ariel was completely exhausted after a day of swimming with Harry.

Bedtime couldn't come soon enough.

Snape poured himself a third glass of fire whiskey as he collapsed onto the couch.

It had been a rather boring first month of summer so far, and he was quite disturbed by this thought. The day after they'd arrived had brought a stormy week. Ariel had the brilliant idea of making a fort out of couch cushions, where she and Harry stayed for rainy days, telling each other ghost stories and reading books. Snape had sat in the kitchen, a bit disgruntled at first that they'd taken the couches apart, but later found himself smirking at their laughter. Ariel had begged Snape to make an appearance but he declined. It would be a cold day in hell before he sat in a _pillow fort _with two children.

The rest of the time had been spent out by the lake. Potter had created a kind of game where whoever could bring up the most shells from the bottom won the privilege of showering first that night, since the two shared a bathroom. They were currently tied, Ariel having won the last round.

When he had taken Potter with him for the summer, he'd originally thought that he wouldn't have any peace. But Snape had to admit, they'd both been extremely well behaved, even Potter. His cheek had not once made an appearance; James was nowhere to be found. The little clone had his father's mischief however, but so did Ariel. This past school year made that clear. Not that it had been their fault, of course. The Dark Lord had nearly clawed his way back, had nearly killed them both…

He shivered at the memory and took a long sip of his drink. Dumbledore had been right all along, the Dark Lord was still alive, if you could even call it that. Ariel had never revealed to him what exactly she'd seen, but the headmaster had made it clear it hadn't been good. And if that wasn't enough, bloody Quirrell had used _crucio_ on her…

His fist clenched tightly and the glass he was holding shattered. It took several deep breaths for him to calm himself as he pushed the thought away from him.

_She's safe, she's safe, she's safe…_

"Dad?" a sleepy voice called from the hallway.

Snape turned to see Ariel walk into the living room in her nightgown, her hair a mess and heavy-eyed.

He quickly cleaned the broken glass with a flick of his wand as the girl leaned her head against his shoulder. "What'd you drop?"

"Nothing," he muttered, reaching up to stroke her face with his thumb, "Why are you up? It's late; I thought you'd be asleep."

"I was. I had a nightmare." Her eyes suddenly filled with tears as she plopped down next to him on the couch.

He wrapped a tight arm around her, "Do you want to talk about it? It will make you feel better."

She took a deep breath, "It-it was about the night we killed Quirrell." Snape stiffened and brought her closer to him.

"Go on, Ariel. Tell me what happened." He whispered.

"You and mum and dad and Harry were trapped in the mirror." She mumbled, her voice getting tighter with every name, "And Voldemort was just laughing at me, telling me I was going to die, how much of a stupid girl I was. Then he pointed his wand and yelled that curse again." She suddenly shook and Snape closed his eyes. He wished he'd had the pleasure of killing Quirrell himself.

"It was just a dream." He soothed her, "He's gone now. You're safe."

"But for how long?" she was sobbing now, "How long until he comes back and tries again?"

"He won't hurt you as long as Dumbledore and I are around-"

"How? Look what he did this past year! Harry spent his first year where he belongs scared to death that Voldemort was going to kill him. He finally gets away from those Muggles and he's thrown into a brand new nightmare. What can-" the rest of her speech was cut off by her sobs.

A familiar pain made itself present in Snape's chest as he rocked the now hysterical girl, shushing her. It had been some time since she needed to be soothed like this. As he held her close, he wondered the same question he'd just been asked. What was Dumbledore's plan? How could her safe? And the boy? Dumbledore had been right, so what were they to do the next time the Dark Lord made an appearance? He had no answers for her and a pang of guilt hit him. Lily's promise had already been broken, and the children weren't even in their teens yet.

Ariel fell asleep about an hour later, and Snape soon followed.

He awoke the next morning early, with a small headache making itself present in his sinuses. No doubt it would be a full blown migraine within hours; he could feel it.

Harry, to his surprise, was already awake, making French toast.

"Good morning, sir." He said as Snape entered. He gave a curt nod back, quickly picking up the copy of the Daily Prophet already on the table.

It was awkwardly quiet before Snape spoke, "You didn't have to make breakfast, Potter."

"Its fine sir, after all you've done for me, I thought I could do this to… I dunno… say thanks I guess…"

Snape blinked, "Thanks?"

"Yeah. For letting me stay with you for holiday. I know you don't like me cuz of my dad, but it means something to me. So yeah, thanks." He gave the dumbfounded professor a small smile, his emerald eyes flashing brightly in the sunlight.

It took Snape a moment to compose himself. It was true, he didn't exactly like Potter, but he didn't hate him. The boy had proved himself to be a much more upstanding individual than his late father. He was like Ariel, a Gryffindor, and although thick headed and cocky at times, they were both kind hearted. Potter was Lily's son as much as Ariel's, as much as he hated to admit it. Why did he make it so hard to dislike him?

Snape cleared his throat, "You're welcome, Potter, but there's no need to thank me. You're my daughter's brother. I wasn't about to leave you to a summer of loneliness and those Muggles."

"You still didn't have to do it."

Why was the boy doing this? He was about to argue back again when Ariel padded into the kitchen, yawning.

"Something smells really good." She climbed into the seat next to Snape, giving Harry a smile.

"It'll taste as good, too."

Ariel raised an eyebrow, "What are you? A master chef?"

"Might as well be. Aunt Petunia made me cook all the time. I used to do half of Christmas dinner on my own." Harry flipped two slices onto a plate and set it down in front of Snape.

Snape curled his lip and the boy looked taken aback for a moment, "Did you not want any sir, I can make something else…"

The scowl was gone as Snape shook his head, "No, Potter, I was reacting to your cooking meals for the Muggles. The meal is fine."

Harry looked relieved as he went back to cooking. Ariel shot Snape a smile, nudging him playfully.

Summer went on.


	18. Chapter 18

The night before Harry's birthday was a long one. Ariel and he had spent the day in the lake again, but the shell game was starting to become rather boring. He wished they could visit the Weasleys, but with them being at this 'top secret location', it didn't seem possible. He didn't dare ask Snape, although Ariel had offered to beg.

Falling into his bed, he was quickly thrown into a familiar dream; a horrible face sneering at him, a bright green light, a woman's cry, Ariel screaming in pain, the cupboard door slamming shut, Uncle Vernon's roar…

He awoke with a jolt, and was startled to see that it was already midnight.

"_Happy birthday to me…"_

Wiping the cold sweat off his brow, Harry shakily fell out of bed and found himself walking into the kitchen. His throat was on fire. All he could think about was water and his nightmare.

"Harry?" Ariel's voice called softy from down the hallway.

"In here." He croaked back as she came into sight. Her hair always seemed to be a mess whenever she emerged from bed, even if it had only been for a few hours. She gave him an odd look and frowned.

"Did you have a nightmare too?"

He blinked a couple of times, "Yeah. How'd you guess?"

"You look like you've seen a ghost." She slowly sank against a nearby countertop. He took a seat beside her.

"Do you get them, too?"

She closed her eyes as leaned her head back. "Yeah." She mumbled, "They're not as bad as they used to be, but they keep me up half the night."

"Same with me." He said quietly.

It hadn't occurred to Harry that his sister would be having nightmares; she'd always been so strong, so well put together. He was always worrying, the one to cry out in fear. It had happened when they went up against Quirrell. Ariel had stood her ground and tried to fight Voldemort and protect _him_. No one had ever done that for him before. Dumbledore had almost failed to come in time, while Ariel had taken that horrible curse. He shuddered at the memory of her shrieks, her writhing on the floor…

"What do you dream about?" he blurted out.

She sighed deeply and rubbed her eyes, "A lot of things. Voldemort. Mum and Dad. Snape. You"

"_Me?"_ Why him? He wasn't a bad memory, and he wasn't dead.

"I dream about you having to go up against Voldemort by yourself. In some dreams, I'm simply stuck in place, others you can't see me. I want to help so bad but I can't-" she broke off, covering her mouth with her hand.

"What about Quirrell?" he asked quietly.

"Yeah." She said mumbled, "I dream about him too."

"What about him?"

"I don't want to talk about it, Harry." she snapped suddenly. He bit his lip.

She glanced at his hurt expression and groaned, wrapping his arms around his and leaning her head into the hollow of his neck. He leaned back into her and closed his eyes.

"I'm sorry." she whispered, "It's just… I don't like thinking about it. It's over. Voldemort's gone." She sounded like she was trying to convince herself. Harry wanted to ask if she thought differently, but held back.

"It's okay. I get it."

He was suddenly very tired and comfortable. Ariel was breathing slowly and deeply. He guessed that she'd fallen asleep, and he soon followed.

Shuffling woke Ariel up the next morning. At first, she was confused. Why was her bed so hard? Then she realized she was in the kitchen. She must have conked out next to her brother last night. Harry was still asleep, his glasses crookedly sitting on his face. She went to fix them when Snape walked in.

"What in Merlin's name are you two doing in here?"

Already dressed, as usual, in his black robes, he gave her a surprised look.

Harry was stirring at this point. "Sorry Dad." She stretched as Harry opened his eyes, "We must have fallen asleep by accident."

Her father raised an eyebrow, "You fell asleep in the kitchen?"

"Yeah, we came in and just… I don't know." She actually didn't know, she clearly remembered her and Harry's conversation, but not getting tired.

"Why were you in the kitchen in the middle of the night in the first place?"

Harry was awake now, shooting Ariel a look that was asking her not to mention his nightmares.

"Uh, we were thirsty."

"And then you fell asleep against a counter?"

"Yeah." Ariel didn't know what else to say. It was a lame excuse, but it wasn't anything major. They'd fallen asleep in the kitchen. Big deal.

"I see." Snape gave a knowing look to her and Harry before clearing his throat.

"I believe birthday wishes are in order."

Ariel nearly slapped herself. _How could she have forgotten_? Before Snape could finish, she bolted from the kitchen and quickly grabbed the present that Fred and George had picked up for her in Hogsmeade before the year ended. She'd placed a stasis charm on a wide variety of candy she'd asked them to bring back, placing in a basket for Harry's twelfth birthday. She had written the card a month prior. Everything was ready.

"Happy birthday!" she presented the gift, throwing herself at her brother. He laughed as they fell backwards. She thought she heard Snape groan at the sight of the gift.

"Thanks." He grinned, eyeing the basket, "What in the world is all that?"

"Your birthday gift, I had Fred and George pick it up for me before the end of the year. It's candy from Hogsmeade."

His eyes lit up at this and she smiled in relief.

"How do you expect me to eat all that? You're gonna have to help me."

"No way." She crossed her arms, "That's all yours. I'm not touching it."

"If it's my gift than I can do what I want with it. And I say that you get half."

She was going to argue back when Snape interrupted, "Ariel, he'll make himself sick if he eats all that."

"Well I'm not expecting him to eat it all in one sitting." She glared playfully as Harry gave her a triumphant smile.

"Perhaps Mr. Potter can share it with your friends later this evening." The sentence sounded so forced that it took a moment for Ariel and Harry to realize what he had just said.

"Hermione and Ron are coming?" Harry's eyes lit up.

Snape shook his head, "Mrs. Weasley wrote to me a week ago. They're planning a party for the both of you, since Ariel's birthday is in three days. They request your presence at their house tonight."

They held their breath as Snape rolled his eyes at their reaction, "I told them yes."

Harry looked as if he wanted to leap for joy as Ariel threw her arms around the stiff man.

"Thank you, sir." Ariel heard Harry say as a hand patted her back softly.

"Dumbledore also sent me a letter assuring he'll be there as well." Snape said, sarcasm coating the sentence.

Harry's eyes brightened even more, "Dumbledore's coming?"

"Yes, Mr. Potter, Dumbledore would like to make sure I haven't chopped you up in potion ingredients. He'd like a whole Golden Boy come the beginning of term."

Ariel unwrapped her arms from around him and shot him a glare. Snape could be nasty, but he'd been decent to Harry all summer. The sarcastic remarks were uncalled for.

"That was rude." She said coldly.

Snape ignored her as he began to make coffee, "Mrs. Weasley requests you both be there at two, so be ready by then."

Still glowering at his back, she reluctantly sat down at the table, motioning for Harry to join. Hesitantly, he took a seat beside her as Snape waved some bread into the toaster.

Ariel was about to ask who exactly would be there tonight when the fireplace burst into green flames.

Dumbledore stepped out, looking a bit paler than usual and the familiar twinkle absent from his eyes.

"Happy birthday, dear Harry!" he called as he entered the kitchen. Something was wrong. He wasn't his normal, all too cheery self. There was a rigidness to him.

"Thank you, sir." Harry said politely, as Snape whirled around.

"Albus, what are-"

"Severus, may I borrow you for a moment?" the headmaster asked, a bit impatiently. Snape was about to argue, but nodded and quickly lead Dumbledore into his small office.

Ariel and Harry looked at each other. Dumbledore hadn't visited the lake house the entire summer, he'd barely written to Snape for that matter. The look on his face had caused her stomach to churn with anxiety. She knew it was useless to try and listen; her father was probably putting up a silencing charm already.

"What was that about?" Harry asked, worriedly looking at the office door.

Not wanting to ruin his day, Ariel shook her head as she rose to get the toast, "Don't worry about it, it's probably just Hogwarts stuff."

"I don't know." said Harry uncertainly, "Dumbledore looked upset, and term doesn't start for another month."

"I wouldn't worry, Harry." she assured him as the bread popped up, "Seriously, just enjoy today. We're finally going to see everyone! Be excited!"

"I am." He admitted, and she grinned back at him.

They were talking about past birthdays when the office door flew open. Snape exited first, his face a mixture of pure rage and fear. Dumbledore looked much older as he wordlessly entered the fireplace and disappeared into the flames.

It was silent for a moment before Ariel spoke.

"Dad, what's going on?"

Snape began to put up a silencing charm when Dumbledore held up his hand, "There's no need, Severus, you'll need to tell them in a moment anyway."

His hands suddenly went a bit numb as he turned to face the older wizard. Dumbledore had always looked old, but right now, he suddenly looked all one hundred and fifteen years.

"What is it?" Snape asked, his voice shaking slightly, "What's happened?"

"Sirius Black has escaped for Azkaban."

The feeling left his face almost as quickly as his stomach dropped to his feet. The roaring he was hearing blocked out whatever else Dumbledore was saying. All he could think of was the girl in the other room and her brother.

"_What did you just say_?" he whispered, finally finding his voice, "_What the fuck did you just say_?"

Dumbledore looked a bit surprised at Snape's choice of words for a moment before he composed himself.

"Severus, I understand that this must be horrifying for you to hear, but you must listen to me." said the headmaster, reaching a hand towards him.

"How?" whispered Snape.

"We don't know, but I assure you, the Aurors are doing everything they can. They'll find him."

"_When_? When did this happen?"

"Sometime this morning."

"If the Aurors were doing everything they could, they would have found him already."

"Severus-"

"No, Albus. You know what he wants." Snape's voice was trembling tremendously now, leaning on the wooden swivel chair for support, "Do you know what he'll do if he finds them?"

"He won't." Dumbledore said firmly, and Snape shot him a wild glare.

"It's Sirius bloody Black! If he escaped Azkaban, what's stopping him from coming here?"

"As long as you remain at the lake house, they'll both be safe." Dumbledore assured him, "I'll be placing extra barriers around the Weasley's house tonight as well."

"You're mad if you think I'm taking my child anywhere but Hogwarts with Black on the loose." Snape snapped.

Dumbledore's eyes softened, "Severus, I will be there, and there will be Aurors on standby. Don't take away tonight on Black's account. They'll be afraid when you tell them, what better way to assure they're safe than taking them to a party?"

Snape was about to tell Dumbledore to go to hell, but stopped himself. As much as he hated to admit it, the old coot was right, as always. Ariel and Potter were sure to be upset by this, although not nearly as horrified as Snape was. Black was lower than Potter senior was in his mind. The monster had betrayed Lily; he had told the Dark Lord where they were hiding. The lunatic had been the one last barrier standing between Snape's hope of them making it out alive, and he had failed them.

And now he was coming for Ariel.

"What do I tell them?" Snape asked, ignoring Dumbledore's idiotic request.

"Do not tell them that he's Harry's godfather. They don't need to know that yet."

"_Yet?"_

"Well, I don't expect we can keep this from them forever. For now, just explain to them the threat and assure them that they are safe."

"Should I summon a rainbow to go with the fluff?" Snape spat, "Keeping information from them is not going to benefit them. Why do you-"

"Severus, please." Dumbledore sighed, and Snape glowered.

"_Albus_, this is ridiculous, I'm not going to pretend like this isn't a clear and very present danger. They're _not _going to the Burrow tonight. They're both staying right here, under my guard."

"I never said Black wasn't a danger. I'm simply stating that to ease the children's minds, you should continue with tonight's plans. That is, unless, you want the both of them upset with you."

Snape had to remind himself that Dumbledore would completely destroy him in a duel to keep him from attacking the old man.

Wordlessly, Snape threw open the door and walked out of the office, practically stomping into the kitchen. He heard the fireplace roar to life, silently cursing the man into oblivion. _I hope he floos straight to hell, the arrogant-_

"Dad, what's going on?" Ariel asked quietly, ripping Snape from his silent rant. There was already a hint of fear in both children's eyes, and Snape felt his heart clench a little in his chest. Why did they always find themselves in situations that weren't their doing?

"Something has happened." he said quietly. He suddenly found himself unable to go on for a moment as Ariel stood up.

"What?" she whispered.

He gave her a long look before he answered, "A Death Eater has escaped from Azkaban."

Harry looked confused, "A Death Eater?"

"One of the Dark Lord's followers." Snape said flatly. He was far too familiar with that term.

Ariel's eyes widened, "Who? What's his name?"

It took everything Snape had to reply. "Sirius Black."

Something flashed in Ariel's eyes for a brief moment as Snape knelt down.

"Both of you, listen to me very carefully. Black is one of the Dark Lord's most loyal followers, and there is one reason and one reason only he has escaped Azkaban." he took a deep breath, "To come and finish what the Dark Lord started."

They both looked puzzled before what he said hit them. His throat swelled a bit as he watched Ariel grab the back of her chair tightly in fear.

"You mean-" Harry choked out.

"Yes." Snape whispered. He didn't want to say it out loud. He couldn't.

"What do we do?" the boy said, "Should we leave?"

"No. That would be the worst move to make at the moment. The lake is probably the only other safe place for the two of you, besides Hogwarts. We need to stay here."

"What about the Weasleys? Should we not go?" Ariel finally spoke, wringing her hands in her nightgown.

Thinking of several colorful names for Dumbledore, Snape stood up, "That is up to the both of you. Dumbledore has promised that you'll both be more than safe there as well, but I believe that we should stay here tonight. I'm sure the Weasleys would be more than understanding of the situation."

Ariel bit her lip, "What if they came here? I mean, I don't want to risk us going out and getting anyone hurt, but-"

"Stop that." Snape snapped, and Ariel shot him a startled look. He tried to soften his expression. "Ariel, do _not _worry about what will happen to anyone else right now. Black is after the two of you. Concern yourself with your own safety."

"But what if we go and Black shows up and starts shooting off Killing Curses? I don't want people getting hurt trying to protect me!"

"Let's have them here, then." Harry said quickly, "That way they'll be guarded by whatever wards are keeping this place so safe too."

"This location is secret for a reason, Potter. I cannot just let your friends floo here. The lake house is here for your protection."

The boy's face fell in disappointed as Ariel gave him a pleading look.

"Dad, _please."_

Lily's face and eyes were suddenly begging him, and he felt himself unable to say anything.

Then he felt himself giving in.

Snape gave them both a long, calculating look. "Very well." He summoned a piece of parchment and a quill, scribbling a note and quickly attaching it to Hedwig. Snape's own owl, Creon, was old and a bit slow. As much as he hated it, he'd had to borrow Potter's owl on more than one occasion this summer.

Ariel ran out of the room with the boy before he could say anything else, and he collapsed into a chair.

It was going to be a long day, he could feel it.

"Shouldn't we talk to Snape some more?" Harry asked as Ariel closed her bedroom door.

She turned and began rummaging through her trunk.

_Sirius, Sirius…_

Where the heck had she heard the name before?

"Ariel, what are you-"

She shushed him before he could finish the sentence. Harry impatiently began tapping his foot.

"If you're not going to answer me, than can I at least go grab that basket of candy while I wait?"

_Sirius, Sirius Bla-_

"Found it!" she hissed, gripping the picture tightly. Her parents at their wedding, a man gripping her father's arm tightly.

She whirled around and presented the picture to Harry.

He gave her a confused look, "Ariel, this is just Mum and Dad."

"Not them, the man next to Dad! That's Sirius Black!"

His jaw dropped as he grabbed the photo, "It can't be." he stammered, "The guy here looks like he's Dad's mate or something."

"That's because I think he was." she whispered quietly.

Harry gaped at her and she sighed.

"I'd need to see a picture of him now, but I remember him, well, I remember the name. We had an Uncle Sirius that used to stop by. I don't remember him much, but when I saw the wedding photo I recognized him from when I was really little."

"And you think it's the same guy?"

"It might be."

"You think a _Death Eater _was one of Mum and Dad's good friends?"

"It's a stretch-"

"You can say that again."

"Look, I know it sounds loony, but how many people do you know named Sirius?"

"But are you sure that was this uncle's name?"

"I'm almost positive, Harry."

They were both quiet for a moment. Harry took a seat on her bed, examining the picture closely.

It was a huge stretch. A Death Eater being good friends with her parents sounded even more ridiculous the more she thought about it. Had they discovered his true allegiances before they died?

It had never occurred to her that there might be other people that wanted her dead until Quirrell. Her childhood hadn't been sheltered like Harry's; but her father had always told her that no one was going to harm her anymore. Voldemort was gone, and she had been safe.

Why the bloody hell was all this happening now?

There had been no sign of Voldemort for ten years. Many people pretended to be ignorant of the man's reign of terror at all, while others believed he was gone for good. Although Snape had never said it outright, he'd never assured her of that. Dumbledore certainly seemed certain that the dark wizard would make a return, was this it? Where Quirrell and Black foreshadowing his return to power? Was Black meant to kill them before Voldemort came back?

Whether that was true or not, Black was back to finish what Voldemort had started the night her parents died.

Quickly grabbing the picture from Harry, Ariel ran back into the kitchen to find Snape sitting at the table, gripping a cup of coffee tightly, deep in thought.

He looked up when she entered, his eyes immediately darting to the photo she was clutching, "What is that?"

She gave him the picture, his black eyes studying hers before looking down. Snape swallowed loudly, pinching the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes tightly.

"Where did you get this?" he whispered, sounding as if he was trying very hard not to yell the words.

Ariel ignored his question and took the seat across from him, "Is this him? Is that Black?"

He didn't answer, but the silence spoke for itself.

A wave of different emotions hit her. Anger, pain, fear, confusion. Black _had_ known them; this was the uncle she had so rarely seen. Her only memories were of him smiling, swinging her into his arms, laughing loudly with her father and mother…

Anger rushed through her as she buried her face in her arms.

Snape had come around and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Do you remember him?" he asked quietly, kneeling down.

She nodded numbly back, lifting her head up, "Did they know? Did they know what he was before they died?"

"No." There was a viciousness in his voice now, although Ariel could tell it was not directed to her, "He was discovered the day after, they took him straight to Azkaban."

"How'd they find him?" Harry had entered and was leaning against the refrigerator. His green eyes were wide in curiosity and fear as he looked between Ariel and Snape.

"He killed several Muggles and a wizard as he was trying to get away. They had backed him into a corner and he started casting curses. It was a massacre."

Ariel went stiff at this. Why was it that every act performed by Voldemort or his followers always ended with a far more dramatic death than needed?

"Why didn't you tell us this earlier?" she shot an accusing look at her father.

Snape reached a hand towards her, but she inched away. Hurt flashed across his face for a brief moment before he assumed his usual serious look, "Dumbledore asked me not to tell you."

Of course. Once again, the adults had decided that they were too young to know about something important that would most likely make an unwelcome entrance in the near future. Of course. Of bloody course.

"So why are you telling us now?" she glared at him, clenching her fists.

"You remember him." Snape said quietly, "I will not lie to you about something you already know."

"You lied to me about Quirrell." Ariel stood up suddenly, taking several steps away from Snape, "Why doesn't anyone ever tell us the truth? Why do you only give us bits and pieces?"

"Ariel?" Harry's eyes had furrowed in concern, "He said Dumbledore asked him not to say anything, you can't blame him for that."

"Yeah, it's not like this is _important_ or anything." Ariel snapped, "A psychotic killer who knew our parents is trying to murder us, no big deal."

"I never stated that this wasn't important." Snape stood up, concern splitting through his serious face again.

"Then why aren't you telling me the truth!" she shouted, "Why didn't you say that Sirius Black was our parent's friend?"

"Because it's not important, he's not who your parents thought he was. Black is-"

"NOT IMPORTANT?" Ariel could feel herself shaking with anger as took a step towards her father, "HE BETRAYED MY PARENTS! THAT'S NOT IMPORTANT?"

"Ariel-" Snape reached for her again but she dodged him. Before she even realized what she was doing, she threw open the back door and bolted outside. Blood pounding in her ears, she felt her legs carrying her around the lake, to the other side where the thick, dense forest began. She could hear her father running behind her, yelling her name as she sprinted through the woods.

She suddenly felt a surge of energy, a tingling feeling deep inside her that caused her to stumble. She felt herself trip and was tossed down a steep hill. She closed her eyes tightly as her body tumbled down, leaves crunching beneath her. Her body felt weightless for a moment, and then it was still.

Snape was still frantically calling her name, but he seemed to be much farther away now. Slowly opening her eyes, she let out a yelp and held on tightly to the trunk of a very large tree.

Ariel was hundreds of feet in the air, in the arms of a large Douglas fir, holding on for dear life. Silently cursing her accidental magic, she took a deep breath and looked down.

_Where the bloody hell was the ground?_

Her father was still yelling for her as she gulped. How in the world was she to get down? Removing one hand from the trunk, she felt for her wand in her back pocket.

"_Yes!_" she cried when she felt the wooden rod, quickly grasping it tightly.

Magic wasn't allowed outside of school, but this was an emergency, and they were in a secure location. For a moment she wondered if the Ministry could even trace her here.

She sent a green spark shooting down to the ground in the hopes that her father was still nearby. All was quiet for a moment, besides the call of a red cardinal sitting a few branches away, chirping happily.

Snape began calling for her again, sounding closer than before.

"_DAD_!" she shouted, cupping her one free hand around her mouth. She began to shake the tree branch with her legs, watching as several leaves and debris fell to ground.

She heard him say "_Thank Merlin_" as the crunching of his footsteps approached the tree.

"_Where are you_?" he called, the panic in his voice still present.

She crouched down on the limb, still gripping the fir tightly, "_I'm up here!"_

Snape cursed loudly and came into view through several thick branches.

"Merlin, Ariel, what in the world did you do?" he called, sounding a bit relieved.

"I didn't do anything!" she snapped. Her anger was extinguished do to her being hundreds of feet in the air, but the accusation that _she _had purposefully put herself in the tree stirred up some annoyance.

She thought she heard him chuckle, causing her to growl as he looked around.

"Well, seeing as I have no way to come and get you, you might have to jump."

Had she heard him correctly? "_Jump?"_

"Yes, jump." he smirked up at her.

"I don't have a death wish." she yelled down, "Unless you're trying to finish me off before Black does."

That caused Snape's eyes to narrow, "I plan to catch you, Ariel. I'll be using a kind of levitation spell."

"You're mad." she snarled, clinging tightly to the tree, "I'm not jumping."

The tree shook as a breeze past through and Ariel tightened her grip. She had never really thought about it, but she realized that she hated heights. A lot.

_You've survived the most powerful dark wizard of all time twice and you're scared of being up high. Brilliant, Ariel. _

The man below her sighed loudly and pointed his wand up at her.

"_Dad, what are you-"_

"_Ceciderit!"_

Ariel was falling before she could even register that her father had just knocked her out of a tree with a spell. She opened her mouth to scream as Snape shouted once more.

"_Arresto Momentum!"_

Stopping a foot above the ground, she hit the forest floor with a light _thud_. Sitting up, she sputtered in anger as she saw the amused look on Snape's face.

"Well I guess I was right." she spat as she shoved herself off the ground, "You are trying to finish me off."

His face turned hard as he grabbed her arm, "Stop saying that."

She glared at him as she ripped away from his grip and began storming away.

"Where do you think you're going?" asked Snape.

"Away from you." she replied, very matter-of-factly.

"Ariel, stop and listen to me." he followed after her, his long legs quickly catching up to her.

Ignoring him, she noticed the ravine she had tumbled down and wondered how her magic had translated _falling _into _put her in tree_.

"_Ariel_."

She walked even faster. Why did he care? He hadn't planned on telling her who Black really was, why should he care about how she reacted to it?

He quickly strided ahead of her in order to block her advances, "Ariel, I will not hesitate to put you in a full body bind if you don't stop and hear what I have to say."

Glaring murderously at him, she stopped and crossed her arms.

Taking a deep breath, Snape put both hands on her shoulders, giving her a benign look when she didn't move away this time. "Child, the last thing I want to do is lie to you. I withheld the… _personal _information regarding Black because I didn't want you getting upset. I wanted to avoid this."

She lessened her glare, "You mean you wanted to avoid me being magically poofed into a tree?"

He gave her a small smile, "Something like that."

"Why do you and Dumbledore do this? It's like it was with Quirrell and even Harry, you-"

"What do you mean _Harry_?" Snape cut her off, raising an eyebrow.

She curled her lip slightly, "You never told me you hated my biological dad and that's why you don't like Harry. Not that I think its right, but if you had told me, I would have understood it a little better. Instead, you just decided to not say anything, not bother to give me a reason. We spent almost an entire school year not talking because you decided it '_wouldn't benefit me_.' Do you know what it was like to hear _Quirrell _tell me that?"

Snape had on his infamous stone face, "You resent me for hating your father?"

Ariel flinched at the word _hate. _"No, I don't think so. You're my father as much as he was, if not more. I just wish you would tell me why."

He gave her a long look and looked at the ground, "Would you be upset if I said that was for another time?"

Feeling a bit hurt that he still didn't trust her with this information, she turned away, trying to hide the tears forming, "No. I get it. That's your business."

They were both very quiet as they cardinal began singing again. Her father stood up and began motioning for her to follow, "Come, Dumbledore should be arriving soon with your friends."

Wordlessly, she nodded back and they made their way back to the house.

Snape wanted to hex himself as he watched Ariel sadly smile as one of the Weasley boys cracked another joke. All night she had been quiet and detached. He'd expected her to cheer up once she saw her friends, but instead, she'd tried to isolate herself from them.

Potter seemed to be having a good enough time. Snape found himself rolling his eyes as the younger Weasley boy presented him with a Gobstones beginner's kit. The boy was twelve, wasn't he a little too old for such childish toys?

Apparently not, because Potter's eyes lit up at the sight of the present.

He felt himself feeling a bit guilty, as he did not get the boy anything. He would most certainly be getting Ariel something, and reluctantly decided he should get the boy a gift as well. It would have to be something quite good in order to cheer Ariel up. He was such an idiot, he should have told her about Black, and even James bloody Potter when she'd asked. It had been a test, although he'd failed to see it at the time, and he hadn't passed.

Albus pouring himself another glass of pumpkin juice noisily tore him from his mental berating. Speaking of the old man, Snape couldn't fathom why he'd stayed. Surely the Ministry must be begging for his help in regards to Black, and instead he was here, attending a get-together with a bunch of Hogwarts students. Not to mention he was partly to blame for his daughter's outburst this afternoon.

He shot the headmaster a look, who looked up from his drink to raise a silvery eyebrow, "Have I done something to offend, Severus?"

"You're little _advice _about withholding the fact that Black is more than just a sociopathic murderer backfired on me today." he hissed across the table, "Ariel remembered him, she recognized him from a photo."

"Did she?" Dumbledore sighed, "I'd hoped she'd be too young to recollect anything about him."

"Well she wasn't. This little revelation caused her to flee the house. She thinks I'm purposefully lying to her."

"She ran from you?" Dumbledore looked at the sullen girl sitting on the couch, fiddling with the hemming on a couch cushion.

"Yes." Snape's glower intensified, "And then proceeded to ask about mine and James Potter's feud. I told her that was for another time, which just added to the problem. I can't keep withholding things from her Albus, she's getting too old. She's smart for her age, and knows when we're not being entirely truthful."

"I assume that you mean you're going to tell her and her brother that Black is Harry's godfather, then?" Dumbledore leaned back and clasped his hands together.

"Unless you want my daughter mad at me for another term, yes."

"Of course I don't want that, Severus." the old wizard said kindly, "But you know that there will be things that come to light in the near future that you will not be able to tell her, even if she discovers that you have knowledge of them."

Snape stiffened at this, remembering the conversation they'd had about him eventually having to become a double agent once more. "Yes, I'm aware."

Dumbledore was silent for a moment, "You said she asked about James Potter as well?"

"Yes." Snape gritted his teeth. The very thought of the man made his blood pressure rise.

"And I take it you have not told her as to why you have so much resentment towards him?"

"No, Albus." he sighed, "I have no desire to tell her that yet. I wouldn't know where to begin."

"You realize that her curiosity will raise the question as to why you adopted her in the first place." Dumbledore said, taking a long sip of his pumpkin juice.

Snape blinked, "If the question ever came up, I planned on telling her that you requested I take her."

The old man smiled, "Yes, Severus, but what caused you to say yes?"

Clenching his fists, Snape leaned across the table, "You know why I did it." he hissed.

"Ariel doesn't."

Leaning across the table even further, Severus was nearly face to face with Dumbledore, "I will not go there tonight, Albus. Not with you, and not with my child."

"Very well, my boy, I was just inquiring as to what you would say if the question ever came up." Dumbledore shrugged and turned his eyes to the children in the other room.

Granger was lecturing the two second years on the importance of owls while the Weasley twins handed a small, poorly wrapped gift to Ariel. Snape had seen them give her a gift earlier; a box of assorted items that he thought he'd heard them say could be used to get her out of classes. He'd have to investigate the contents soon and confiscate it should anything harmful be inside.

Ariel slowly unwrapped the package and smiled sadly down at it. Catching a quick glance, Snape saw that it was a picture frame with a photo of her and Damon Malfoy. There was a message scribbled on the back of it, which Ariel read silently to herself. She quickly said something to the twins, who shrugged in reply.

Snape wondered how Damon Malfoy did it. He'd heard whispering between his Slytherins that his aunt's family wasn't exactly fond of him, and Ariel had mentioned that Damon despised his parents. Bellatrix and Rodolphus would be livid if they ever discovered their son was close friends with the Girl-Who-Lived. Lucius wasn't one to take cheek lightly, and Merlin knew, Damon had a way about him when it came to people he didn't like. Sometimes Snape wondered if the Sorting Hat had been mistaken in placing him in Slytherin. The boy was courageous and loyal to his friends, who were only Gryffindors. The rest of his housed detested him, lead by his cousin. He would have to have a word with Dumbledore about him at a different time; living with the Malfoys wouldn't bode well for the boy as he got older.

It was nearly eleven when Dumbledore finally stood up to leave. Harry seemed heartbroken at the sight of his friends leaving after seeing them for the first time in a month, but Snape gruffly promised that they'd see him again soon. Ariel had hugged Fred and George a bit tighter than Snape deemed necessary, but then again, it had been a while.

As soon as the floo roared to life, Ariel began to make a silent beeline for her bedroom when Snape stopped her.

"I want to talk to the both of you, there's something you need to know that I haven't disclosed to you, something I should have said earlier."

She stopped short, turning around and crossing her arms in front of her, "What is it?"

He motioned for them to take a seat on the couch. They sat, and he uncomfortably sat on the ottoman directly across from them.

Snape thought about giving a whole speech about why he hadn't told them that Black had been Potter's best friend, but decided to skip it.

"Sirius Black is your godfather, Potter." He stated bluntly, and two sets of jaws dropped.

"W-what?" Harry stammered as Ariel looked at her father wildly.

Maybe the speech had been a good idea.

"He's your godfather." Snape repeated, "At least on paper, he is."

Gaping, the boy was at a loss for words as tears welled up in Lily's eyes.

_Oh, brilliant. _

"Potter," Snape tried to soften his tone towards the boy, "It's alright. He's not going to hurt you."

"There's more to it." Ariel whispered suddenly. Harry had leaned into her for support as she wrapped a tight arm around him.

Hesitating, Snape sighed, "Yes. When your parents went into hiding with the two of you, Dumbledore placed something called a Fidelius Charm on the cottage. When this charm is activated, the people hidden by it need someone called a Secret Keeper, who is the only one besides the caster who knows the location. Sirius Black was your parents Keeper, and he's the one who told the Dark Lord where you were."

His heart clenched painfully in his chest as Ariel buried her face in her hands.

"He was their friend, and he betrayed them." said Harry, anger building in his voice.

There was silence, besides Ariel's choked sobs.

"_He was their friend, and he betrayed them!" _Harry repeated, standing up, shaking with rage.

"Harry-" Ariel choked out, reaching for her brother. The boy ran from the room and up to his bedroom, slamming the door behind him.

Snape began to curse himself silently as Ariel looked up at him, her dark eyes filled with pain. He reached for her, but she bolted upstairs, and Snape heard her bedroom door slam seconds later.

He was a bloody idiot.

It had been a long two days after that.

Harry hadn't come out of his room for a full day until Ariel finally threatened to tell Snape to break the door down if he didn't come out. Even then the boy had refused meals. Snape finally resorted to slipping a Hunger Potion into a glass of milk when he wasn't looking, and the blasted boy finally ate.

The morning of the third day was Ariel's birthday, although you wouldn't had known it if you had seen them. As sulky and serious as Snape could be, the children were starting to put a damper on _his _mood.

Snape was never very good at buying gifts for Ariel; he'd always had Dumbledore come with him, as much as he hated it. He'd been very good at picking out things she'd enjoy. There wasn't a Christmas or birthday that went by were Ariel had every looked disappointed, much to Snape's relief. Today, however, he was on his own. This gift had to be for not just one, but two children, and it had to be good.

Ariel and Harry were silent through breakfast, although Ariel gave a small smile when Snape leaned down and kissed her head, whispering a _"happy birthday."_ After that, he threw on his cloak (despite the Ministry's rules against it, Snape tended to wear robes in the presence of Muggles, regardless) and called that he was going to run errands. He received no response and sighed loudly, closing the door quietly behind him.

This was not Snape's element. Buying a birthday present for two teenagers was something he had no idea how to do. He suddenly remembered the day he'd first held Ariel in Dumbledore's office and remembered thinking how odd it was to be holding James Potter's child in his arms. Now he was buying the two of them a bloody present. Odd wasn't even close to describing his thoughts on this anymore.

Ariel was his; he had to remember that. Not James Potter's. She was Lily's and his, a thought that filled his insides with a warm feeling. He wondered if he would have actually had children with Lily if she had chosen him, but pushed the thought away when he felt his throat tighten. Not today, he couldn't go there today.

He quickly apparated to the home in Spinner's End, and made his way into town. Diagon Alley wasn't a place he felt like going today, not with all the talk of Black going on. It was also a well known fact that he was Ariel's father now and he didn't feel like explaining _that_ to any familiar faces he might run into. Flying past a Muggle supermarket, barber shop, and drug store, he slowed when he reached a pet store. He hadn't remembered this being here as a child. It looked shiny and glossy; it must be new. Before he could stop himself, he walked in and looked around. It wasn't nearly as interesting as a pet shop would look in Diagon Alley, but it would have to do.

A little voice in the back of his head warned him that if he brought home a pet there would be no coming back from it, while the other half of him cheered him on. Surely an animal would cheer the two of them up and distract them from Black.

A squealing caught his attention, and he turned to see a pen filled with what looked to be Siberian Huskies. He took a hesitant step forward as one of them, a completely albino puppy, leaped forward, squirming with excitement.

That little voice was screaming for him to walk away now, but he found himself apparating back to the lake house with the beast an hour later.

_Merlin, what is wrong with you? _He scolded himself as he made his way up the front steps. Once inside, he found the Ariel and Harry concentrating on a game of wizarding chess in living room. They hadn't even noticed him enter, or the now barking bundle in his arms.

Snape cleared his throat loudly and their heads snapped up, eyes locking on the puppy. He quickly set it down as it bounded over to the two of them, their faces brightening almost immediately.

"Who's this?" Ariel breathed as the animal leaped onto her lap, sniffing intently. It then turned its attention to Harry, whose eyes were as big as bowls.

"Well, I would think that would be up to the both of you." said Snape, unwrapping his cloak from around him, "It's a boy, if that helps any."

"He's-he's _ours?" _Harry looked up, shocked, and Snape rolled his eyes.

"Yes, Potter. He's yours. I'm damn sick and tired of the moping around here and decided that your birthday gift should be something that'll take your mind off of things."

"Birthday gift?" Harry echoed and it took all of Snape's strength not to snap at him. The boy could be painfully incompetent at times.

The dog was now bounding back over to Snape, who shot it such a dark look that it skitted to a halt, and whimpered back over to Ariel.

Ariel laughed and Snape felt a wave of relief wash over him. That was a sound he'd missed greatly.

"He's beautiful." she crooned at the squirming white furry thing as it leaped back over to Harry, practically knocking him over. The two collapsed in laughter as the dog happily barked at the sound.

The world was at equilibrium once more and Snape decided to reward himself with a bottle of Elvish wine. Turning on his heel, he walked into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle, about to uncork it as Ariel entered behind him.

"You didn't have to do that, you know." she said. The sound of Harry's laughter and the beast's barking carried into the room and Ariel smiled broadly.

Snape waved her off, "Yes I did. You were becoming almost unbearable to live with. I had to save myself."

"You did it to make us happy, to make _him_ happy."

He paused, taking in what she'd said. Before he could respond, she continued, "I know you started off not liking him much because he looks like our Dad, and I'll admit that I was angry for a while about it. But you letting him stay with us on holiday meant more to me than I can say. You sacrificed more of your time, more of _our _time so that he could be here. And then you bring home this dog and I just…" she shook her head, smiling, "You confuse me, but I can't complain, now can I?" she raised an amused eyebrow at him.

A bit speechless, he pretended to be studying the bottle of wine intently.

"Don't give me so much credit, I was doing it for you." he finally said.

"I think that's the problem; you don't give yourself enough credit sometimes." she said softly, "I know you have your secrets, like James Potter and all that, and that's fine. I shouldn't have asked you about it that day in the woods, it's your business. What matters now is that you adopted me in the first place. You may have despised my Dad, but you rose higher than that, you saw past that hate as raised me as _yours _instead of _his_."

The warmth that should have flowed through him was replaced with heart-wrenching guilt as Ariel squeezed his arm and whispered another "_thank you"_ before leaving him alone.


	19. Chapter 19

A week before term began, Snape woke the children up early to go and get their supplies.

The thought of them being out in public for the first time in months with Black still on the loose, yes, the Aurors had not caught the maniac yet, made his stomach curl, but what was he to do? He'd originally insisted that he just go and fetch the items himself, but Ariel wouldn't hear it. She and Potter had been a bit stir crazy as of late, despite the edition of Godric.

Yes, they had named the bloody animal after the founder of the God-forsaken house. Potter had announced it proudly at dinner the night the beast was brought home. Snape tried to conceal his disgust, to no avail, causing Ariel to snicker in response. A part of him wondered if they'd named the dog after the Gryffindor just to annoy him.

Both children were still bleary-eyed as they walked the trail from the lake house to the apparation spot. Ariel waved at the dog in the window, who was howling in protest at them leaving him alone.

"Can't we take him?" asked Harry, gazing sadly at the distressed animal.

Snape rolled his eyes at Godric's begging look, "No, Potter. I'm not about to spend the afternoon chasing him around Diagon Alley."

"He'll be fine." Ariel assured him, grabbing his arm to lead him away.

Giving one last look to the dog, Harry turned reluctantly and the trio began making their way down the forest path. Although it was still summer, a chill had already begun to set into the air. Snape wrapped his cloak tighter around him, watching the boy and girl walking several feet in front of him.

Ariel's hair had grown; it hung halfway down her back in thick curls, just like Lily's had. She was taller than Harry was, and almost as thin, although she didn't look as malnourished Harry had looked. Her frail frame fit her figure, complementing her long legs. Almost as pale as Snape was himself, her dark eyes that so deeply resembled his were pronounced on her face, always glittering, always full of life.

The boy had grown in height a bit, although he was still short for his age. His unruly hair was thick; sticking up almost comically in black bunches. It was probably the one thing that reminded Snape so much of James Potter, besides the boy's face. As if seeing Lily in Ariel wasn't bad enough, Harry was James' clone as well. He gritted his teeth at the sight of them walking now, imaging James Potter and Lily walking side by side, going for a romantic stroll.

He pushed the thought away from him as quickly as it came. Not today.

To Snape's relief, they had reached the apparation spot at this point. He wordlessly held out his hands as the children obediently grabbed them, landing with a _thud _in the back way of Diagon Alley. Harry had fallen over, again, as Snape briskly walked past him.

"Come, I want to get this over with as soon as humanly possible." he said as Ariel helped her brother up.

Turning the corner, Snape motioned for them to stay close to him. There were not going to be any excursions today. He intended to get what was needed and leave.

Of course, that wasn't going to happen, Snape realized, when the entire Weasley family suddenly rounded the next corner.

"Harry!" Ron crowed as Harry's face broke into a grin. He was about to run to him when Snape placed a firm hand on his shoulder and hissed "_wait"_ into his ear. A large crowd of witches and wizards were now exiting The Leaky Cauldron, four of them being none other than Lucius, Narcissa, Draco, and Damon Malfoy.

Snape had absolutely no intentions of letting his daughter, or even Potter for that matter, near Lucius. While Draco had seemingly followed in his father's footsteps as being an arrogant pureblood prick, the elder always had a much darker agenda. Scenes of the long nights of Muggle woman's screams and cries for help flashed before Snape as he pushed the children instinctively behind him. "_Muggle hunting_," as the Dark Lord had called it, was Lucius' favorite pastime, soon christened the leader of the popular activity among Death Eaters. Snape had always found it revolting. While it was true he didn't like Muggles one bit, he hadn't expected what Lucius brought home seemingly every night. He was still a young man at the time, and the idea of this had been sickening to him, no matter how much he longed to belong in that circle. Oh, how misguided he had been…

The Weasleys were making their way through the crowd now, Molly screeching for the twins and Ron to wait as they broke through. Ariel wheeled out from behind Snape as the twins threw their arms around her. Ron was doing the same to Harry.

"Where is it?" one of the twins asked excitedly as Snape looked passed the redheads to make sure the Malfoys hadn't spotted them. He couldn't see them anymore and gave a small sigh of relief.

"Where's what?" she laughed in response.

"The dog!" the other twin almost yelled, earning a glare from Snape. They ignored him as Harry replied, "He's at home, he's too hyper to take out, especially here. We'd be chasing him all day."

They three Weasley brothers faces fell as Weasley senior and Molly, along with two other children finally caught up.

"Don't worry, you'll see him soon." Ariel reassured them.

Ron grumbled in disappointment as Molly yelled, "I told you to stay near me!"

"Sorry, mum." came their reply as Percy Weasley sniffed in disgust. The boy was wearing a pin with a "P" on it, and Snape vaguely remembered receiving the list of Prefects for this year, Percy being one of them. The boy seemed to be taking his newly appointed position a bit too seriously.

Molly's face brightened as she turned her attention to Ariel and Harry.

"Ariel, dear, lovely to see you!" she threw her arms around her as Ariel gave a small laugh, returning the embrace.

"You too, Mrs. Weasley."

"And Harry!" she beamed, "You've grown, and put on some weight!" Molly threw her arms around the boy and he smiled sheepishly, clearly a bit uncomfortable.

"Professor." Mr. Weasley nodded, holding out his hand. Snape grasped it and gave it a firm shake, returning the nod curtly. Mrs. Weasley gave him a kind smile, which he didn't see.

Damon Malfoy was making his way towards them, thankfully without his family, although Snape still stiffened. They were sure to be around here somewhere, they wouldn't just let their nephew wander off by himself.

Ariel cried out in delight, running to hug the dark haired boy, who smiled widely in response. Snape began to protest, but stopped himself. He hated to admit it, but he pitied the boy, growing up with Lucius as a father figure. It was still a mystery as to why he was so defiant and resistant to his family's pureblood ways. Draco had obviously had it drilled into him, why not Damon? What was different here?

"Hey, you." Damon chuckled as Ariel finally released him, "Thanks for finally writing back this summer."

"It's my obligation." she replied and all the children laughed, except Percy. The adults exchanged puzzled looks; clearly, they were not in on _that _joke.

The twins quickly introduced Damon to their parents, who gave him a kind smile. It was obvious that the children had told their parents about Damon's lack of affection for his biological parents and cousin's family. He mumbled a polite "hello" to them both and turned his attention to Snape.

"Hello, Professor." Damon gave the black-haired man a small smile.

"Mr. Malfoy." he replied silkily, although he allowed himself to soften his expression. The boy was a Slytherin either way, and Snape couldn't argue with that.

"Well, now that we're all together, what are your plans for the day, Severus?" Molly asked, quickly rummaging through her bag.

He raised an eyebrow, "My plans?"

"Yes, dear. If it's alright with you, I'm sure the children would like to go shopping together." she replied, finally retrieving a couple of Knuts from the purse. She handed them to her husband who gave a quick nod and walked away.

Harry and Ariel were giving him pleading looks as he struggled not to roll his eyes. They weren't going to be in and out as he would have liked, but decided that there was strength in numbers.

"That sounds fine." he sighed as the children broke out into grins again.

"Wonderful!" Molly smiled, "Alright you lot, let's get going. We have lots to do and I don't want to have to make a second trip back here!"

The Weasleys along with Harry began walking away as Snape turned to Damon.

"What are your plans, Mr. Malfoy? Is your family expecting you?" he asked, trying to sound as uninterested as possible.

Damon rolled his eyes, "I have no plans, and they're out buying Draco whatever he little heart desires. I got all my stuff already."

Snape nodded, "Well, if you think you're guardians are alright with it, you are welcome to stay with us."

The boy quickly gave him a surprised look and snorted, "It's certainly not _alright _with them, but I've come to realize that their opinions don't matter much to me."

Ariel gave Snape a curious look as Damon turned on his heel and followed the redheaded crowd in front of them. He put a reassuring hand on her shoulder and they followed the Weasleys into Flourish and Blotts for schoolbooks.

It was absolute mayhem in the store already, and Snape felt himself groan at the waves of students and parents. They were going to be here for ages at this rate.

"Molly!" he called, as the witch turned her head, "It's too crowded, why don't I take some of them for other things until it calms down in here."

She bit her lip and nodded, "Alright, that sounds fine."

Snape looked down at Ariel who was looking around the store, seeming a bit overwhelmed.

"Ariel?" he said, and her head snapped up, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah." she bit her lip as he squeezed her shoulder comfortingly.

"We're splitting up due to the crowding in here, do you want to come with me, or stay with the Weasleys?" he asked softly.

"I'll come with you." she said quickly, grabbing his hand to pull him out of the store, but not before Snape overheard a group of witches by the window, talking rather loudly.

"Yes, I heard something similar. Black apparently hell-bent on finding the Potters and doing Merlin knows what. Poor dears, the girl already stuck with that dreadful ex-"

Snape grabbed her before the woman could finish her sentence, knowing exactly what was coming. Ariel had turned quite pale and was breathing rapidly as Snape kneeled down.

"Ariel." he whispered softly, "Ariel, look at me."

Damon and Harry had followed them outside, exchanging worried looks as Ariel swallowed loudly.

"I-I'm s-s-s-sorry." she mumbled, blinking a couple of times to steady herself, avoiding Snape's gaze.

"Do you want to go home? We can leave right now and come back another time."

She shook her head and took a deep breath, "No, I'm fine. I-I don't know what happened. I just heard those women talking and…"

"I understand, you don't have to explain yourself." Snape said quietly as he stood up. Ariel nodded in response.

"I assume then, that you're both coming with us?" Snape turned to the two boys.

"Yes, sir, if that's alright." said Harry, still giving Ariel a concerned look. She smiled at them both as the man and three children made their way down the street.

Ariel had felt much better after getting ice cream, Damon's treat, despite Snape's protests that he would pay. She giggled at her brother, who still had strawberry stained all over his mouth.

"What?" he asked as Damon laughed along.

Snape threw a handkerchief Harry's way, "Wipe your face, Potter. I won't have you look like a savage while you're in public with me."

Rolling her eyes at her father, Ariel took in the sights of the alley. It wasn't as busy it had been several hours prior, and they'd managed to get a lot of shopping done. Snape had insisted that Harry get new glasses, something he'd warned Harry he'd make him do all summer. He'd treated the old metal eyeglasses like they were the plague. After that, they'd both gotten sets of new robes. Damon had teased her that the color matched her eyes, to which she'd thrown a shoe at him. Finally, Harry had wanted to get Hedwig owl treats at the pet store, along with a collar and leash for Godric.

"Hopefully the crowd at the book store has thinned out." Snape stood up, fixing his robes, "Let us go."

Making their way to Flourish and Blotts once more, Ariel was relieved to find that there was hardly anyone left inside. Snape quickly walked to the front and ordered the books as the three of them examined the rest of the store.

"Are you ready to go back?" Damon asked, now that they were alone.

"Why wouldn't we be?" Harry asked, his fingers tracing over a book labeled "_Wizards of the 18__th__ Century."_

"Well, with what happened last year, and with Black on the loose-"

Ariel's eyes snapped to his face, "You know about Black?"

"Well… yeah… I'm pretty sure the entire wizarding world knows about him." he said, giving them both a blank stare.

"What have you heard?" Ariel's eyes darted to her father, who was still waiting at the counter.

"Nothing really." Damon shifted uncomfortably to one side, "No one's spotted him since his escape. It's been quiet, but the Ministry says they're doing all they can."

"_No one's seen him?_" Harry whispered, "How is that possible?"

"Well, he did escape from Azkaban." Damon pointed out, "It makes sense that he'd know how to hide himself too."

The clerk at the counter had waved Snape into the back room. Giving the man an annoyed look, Snape gave them a look that clearly said Stay-Here-Or-You'll-Regret-It and disappeared behind a thick curtain.

"Black is Harry's godfather." Ariel quickly whispered to Damon, whose eyes widened in shock.

"Wha-"

"Listen to me, because I don't have a lot of time to explain." she hissed, "He was friends with my parents, and they didn't know what he really was, obviously, or he wouldn't be Harry's godfather. They arrested him the day after Voldemort," Damon flinched, "killed my parents and now he's escaped so he can come and finish the job."

Damon looked floored, "How do you know this? Did Snape tell you?"

"Yeah." she nodded, "But I remember Black when I was little. He'd come around once in a while. I- I think him and my dad were really good friends."

She was expecting a verbal response from her friend, but instead, the boy threw his arms around her.

"I'm so sorry." he whispered fiercely as she returned the embrace. A bit taken aback by this, she hugged him tightly back.

He released her and quickly turned to Harry, "Are you okay? I mean, how are you-"

"I'm fine." Harry said shortly, "I don't want to talk about it."

Ariel frowned, "I'm sorry, Harry, I should have asked if you wanted him to know. That's your business."

"It's fine." he mumbled and Damon's face flashed with guilt.

"Harry, I'm really sorry, I promise I-"

"Apologizing to the Potters; have you really sunk _that _low, Damon?" a cold voice called from behind, cutting Damon off. Ariel watched as her friend's guilt ridden face was replaced with contempt, and she slowly turned around to face a tall, well-dressed man with long, almost white, blonde hair.

"Have you really sunk so low that you're now insulting _students _for fun, uncle?" Damon sneered back.

Ariel felt her heart skip a beat on the word _uncle_. Her Dad had warned her to steer clear of Lucius Malfoy at all costs, and here she was, face to face with the man.

"Watch your mouth, boy." Lucius hissed back as Draco appeared behind him, smirking smugly.

Damon looked as if he wanted to say something else, but held back, balling his fists tightly.

Lucius turned his attention to Ariel and Harry, "Well well, look who decided to make an appearance today. The Precious Potters."

Ariel gave him her best glare as Draco took a step forward.

"Good to see you've decided to keep away from the Weasleys, Potter." Draco drawled to Harry, "Nothing positive comes from hanging around scum like that."

"Don't you talk about them like that!" Harry snapped, "Ron's ten times the wizard you are."

Draco laughed as Lucius turned his cold eyes at Harry's comment, "Watch your tongue, boy, or you'll find yourself without it."

Ariel felt the blood rushing to her face at the threat, "Do you really think its smart threatening the savior of the wizarding world like that? I mean, after all, I've heard about the _great Malfoys, _I'd thought you'd have a bit more brains than that. Apparently, some people seem to be mistaken."

The words flew out of her mouth before she could stop herself as Damon's eyes widened in what she thought looked like admiration, and then horror.

To her surprise, Lucius did not raise his wand or his hand. Instead, he gave her a smile that shot shivers down her spine.

"Ah, Ariel Potter." he said softly, "Tell me, is Severus nearby? Or did he finally decide to get rid of you once he realized what a tremendous mistake it was taking you in the first place? I hear you gave him quite a rough year."

She gritted her teeth, "My father hasn't kicked me out just yet, Mr. Malfoy. Sorry to disappoint."

"Ah, pity. On a different note however, how are the both of you faring with the news of Sirius Black? Nasty man, he was, never gave up once he set his sights on something." he said silkily, slightly raising a pale eyebrow.

Both were silent as they glared murderously at Lucius, who gave a small chuckle.

"Such a pity." he repeated softly, "First your beloved parents, now you. At least you have the knowledge of his true loyalties, unlike your father. Poor man, never saw it coming-"

"Shut up." Ariel said loudly, clenching her fists tightly.

This time, Lucius' smile disappeared, "I beg your pardon?"

"I said shut up. Don't talk about my parents like that." she said, her voice shaking slightly with anger.

"My, my." Lucius mused, "Miss. Potter does seem to have quite a temper. Although that is to be expected when one strays into the wrong crowd, much like Damon here." He gave his nephew a look of pure disgust.

"Don't listen to him, Ariel." Damon said quickly, looking as if he wanted to curse his uncle right then and there, "He wants to upset you, don't let him."

"Silence, you insolent little brat." Lucius snapped, "I'm sick of your cheek. I have spared you my hand to keep your aunt happy, but I'm reaching the end of my rope."

A familiar tingling feeling was making itself present in Ariel's chest again, increasing with every word Lucius Malfoy spoke.

"Don't threaten him." Ariel snapped as she took a step towards the man.

Harry put a hand on her shoulder to hold her back, "Ariel, don't. He's not worth it."

"Yes, Ariel." Lucius mimicked Harry's worried tone, "Whatever would your father think? Knowing Severus, he wouldn't let this go easily, he might even-"

The tingling was very present at this point, and Ariel felt herself nearing her boiling point, "I said to shut your fucking mouth about my parents, you-"

"_Ariel." _a voice snarled from behind Lucius, who turned to reveal Snape, wand clenched tightly in his hand.

If looks could kill, the entire alley would be flattened.

"Severus!" Lucius called to Snape as if greeting an old friend, "You're ward and I were just discussing you."

Draco snickered as Damon put a reassuring hand on Ariel's arm. The tingling had stopped once her Dad had called her name. She couldn't tell if his rage was directed at Lucius or the language she had just used.

"Lucius." Snape nodded to the elder Malfoy, "I'm sorry, but if you'll excuse me, I'll be taking the two of them and leaving. It's been a long day." He motioned to Ariel and Harry to leave the store. Harry grabbed Ariel's other arm, tugging her in the direction of the door, but she stayed planted.

"No worries." Lucius said coolly, "I agree that they should go home at the earliest convenience. I believe Miss. Potter here was having some trouble holding her tongue."

"No trouble whatsoever, Mr. Malfoy." Ariel said coldly, earning herself a look that stated that she'd be nothing more than mere potions ingredients by the time Snape was through with her.

"Indeed." came her father's strangled reply to Lucius, and Ariel cried out in protest.

Swiftly passing the Malfoys, Snape grabbed Ariel's arm and called "Good day, Lucius, Draco." behind him, dragging the struggling girl from the bookstore.

Damon was giving her a panicked look as Harry blocked her view. Snape threw her out of the store, shoving her ahead of him. In all her life, she could never remember Snape ever being so rough with her like he had just been. Tears sprang to her eyes as she turned to him, suddenly finding herself gripping her wand.

He gave her another shove when she had stopped walking. She spun around and stopped short again.

"_What are you_-"

There was another shove and Ariel felt a sob escape her lips. Harry was turning red now.

"Leave her alone!" he yelled, causing several wizards and witches to turn their attention to the three of them.

"Silence." Snape hissed at the two of them, his face contorted.

"_No, stop-"_ Harry began to yell again as the Weasleys came into view.

"Severus!" Ariel heard Molly call, and she sighed with relief.

"What's happened?" Molly asked worriedly when Ariel's tear stricken face came into view, along with Harry, still ready to attack her father.

"Lucius Malfoy." Snape replied, reaching a hand towards Ariel, who quickly dodged it.

The twins hissed in reply as Molly's face went a bit white.

"He didn't hurt you, did he?" she asked Ariel, who felt fresh tears spring to her eyes.

"No." came Harry's reply, "But _he _did." He motioned to Snape as four sets of eyes narrowed.

"What does he mean, Severus?" Molly asked. Her tone reminded Ariel of a cat thinking about pouncing.

"I had to appear a certain way to him, Molly." Severus snapped back, "I couldn't be gentle with them. Lucius wouldn't have let me get away so easily."

The claws were out now, "So _you _struck them?" Molly practically snarled.

"She was mouthing off to Lucius, who wasn't about to let her leave without teaching her a lesson. It was me or him. I didn't strike her; I simply shoved her out of the store. It was either that or I duel Lucius, and I wasn't about to be sent to Azkaban for murdering him."

Molly's posture relaxed, "So you appeared to be violent in order in order to avoid a confrontation?"

"Correct." said Snape flatly.

Ariel felt a twinge of guilt rush through her as Harry's face returned to a normal shade.

"Oh, dear." Molly sighed, turning back to Ariel, "Are you sure you're alright, love? You don't look well."

"I should get them home." Snape replied, a hint of worry in his voice as well, "It's been a long day."

"Yes," Molly agreed, "I should too."

There was an awkward moment of silence before Molly cleared her throat, "Er- Severus, what about the other boy? Damon, was it? Will he be alright?"

Ariel shot a small glance at her father, who was staring at her as if she was an injured kitten or something.

"I believe so." Snape replied, although he sounded as if he didn't believe it himself, "But I will be speaking to the headmaster about it. I don't like the way his uncle spoke to him."

Molly nodded, "Good. Well… do let me know if you need anything Severus. Harry and Ariel are always welcome at my house. But you knew that already."

Snape nodded, "Yes, Molly. Thank you."

With that, Molly motioned for her children to follow her, Ron, Fred, and George giving them both a look similar to the one Damon had given them moments before.

"Come." Snape said quietly, and the two of them followed wordlessly.

Once home, Harry had immediately taken Godric outside, who needed to pee badly. Although he was still a puppy, he was well behaved, and got the idea rather quickly that using the bathroom in the house would not bode well for him. Ariel would have to remember to give him a treat or a belly rub later for that.

It was painfully quiet as Snape and Ariel stood in the living room, the room lit a dark shade of orange due to the brilliant sunset outside.

"You are aware I didn't want to treat you like that, correct?" Snape finally asked.

Ariel studied the floor intently, noticing an ant making its way towards the kitchen, "Yeah. I got that." she said tonelessly.

"Then why do I have the feeling that you're upset with me?"

"Because it came off like you took his side." Ariel spat. Lucius had been far worse than she'd heard, the arrogant piece of shit.

"It was either that, I let him hex you, or I duel him, which I assure you, took much strength on my part." Snape growled, "After the way he spoke to you, I'd have loved nothing more than to crush him to a pulp."

"You could have just simply taken his side, then. You didn't have to be so rough." The tears were back. Humiliated, she quickly covered her face, biting her tongue to keep from making a sound.

"Oh, child." her father groaned, his footsteps making his way towards her.

She knew she was being sensitive. Her father had explained it was just a show, but it didn't numb the humiliation of it all, being dragged and shoved down the street in front of Draco and his bloody father, the man she had just mouthed off to. Not to mention that she was not familiar with being handled in such a fashion by her father. Snape had never raised a hand to her, not even swatted at her. Today's events had left her with a bit of a stinging betrayal.

Strong, familiar arms wrapped around her and she leaned heavily into him.

"I'm sorry." he repeated over and over, whispering into her ear.

She suddenly felt like a little kid again, being rocked back and forth in the strong arms that had comforted nightmares, nursed raging fevers, welcomed her after a fight, awarded her when given a good mark…

"I'm sorry, too." she mumbled back, "I know I shouldn't have lost my temper like that, but he mentioned my parents and I just snapped."

"It's understandable." he sighed, releasing her, "Anyone would lose their nerve if someone toyed with them like that. I know I was, and he wasn't even aware I was listening."

She gave a small smile, "So the terrifying look on your face was directed at him, not me?"

"Was it that horrible?" he asked, sounded quite proud of himself.

She laughed, "Yes, for a moment I though Damon and Harry would head for the hills."

He gave her a small smile, "If only Lucius had done so."

"Severus?" Dumbledore's voice called from the fireplace later that evening, and Snape groaned inwardly. He was quite comfortable where he was at the moment. Ariel had fallen asleep on the couch, her head in his lap, while Potter had made himself comfortable in Snape's favorite armchair. The boy had apologized for yelling at him in Diagon Alley, but Snape had waved him off, saying that if anyone treated them like that, he'd expect them to put up a fight.

No, Potter was not as insufferable as James had been, although he was up there.

"Albus." Snape called back tiredly, "Is there something you needed?"

"Yes, my boy, I was wondering if you could come through for a moment. I have something I'd like to discuss with you."

"And leave Ariel and Potter alone here?" Snape hissed. Brilliant as he was, Snape wondered if Dumbledore was daft sometimes.

"Ah, quite right, how foolish of me. Of course, I'll floo to you."

Snape rolled his eyes as he stood up to greet Dumbledore, gently placing Ariel's head on a pillow. He silently exited the room, assuming Dumbledore knew to follow into his office.

They both took seats in the only two wooden chairs in the room and sat in silence for a moment.

"How did today go?" Dumbledore finally asked, "Did they both get what was needed?"

Snape nodded, "Yes, everything went..." he hesitated, "well."

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow, "Are you sure? You don't sound certain."

"Ariel had a run in with Lucius, and I had to drag her out of there to keep from hexing him." he sighed, the guilt making itself present again.

The headmaster chuckled, "She's always been fiery. I presume you also did so to maintain your cover, like we talked about?"

"Yes, although I will admit it took everything I had not to _Avada Kedavra _him then and there." Snape muttered darkly, and Dumbledore sighed.

"Hm, yes, well I must say, I'm glad you didn't. It wouldn't be prudent to have you rotting in Azkaban for attacking one of Voldemort's favorite Death Eaters."

Snape ignored the last comment and changed the subject, "Has there been anything on Black? Any sign of him at all?"

Dumbledore shook his head, "No, Severus. He has no idea where Ariel and Harry are now; Black is probably waiting for term to start."

"And then what? They become sitting ducks?" Snape jumped up, glaring angrily at the old man.

Unfazed, the headmaster looked up at him, "Of course not Severus. I'm going to make sure that if Black is caught anywhere near the school grounds, he'll be captured. You have my word."

Snape settled back down, a scowl still present on his face, "So why are you here, Albus? What's happened now?"

"Nothing." the headmaster looked a bit surprised, "I've just come to inform you that the Defense Against the Dark Arts position has been filled."

Suddenly very interested, Snape leaned forward, "And who would have the courage to take on _that_ endeavor?"

"Remus Lupin."

Snape stood up even quicker than before, sputtering with sheer rage. He quickly closed his eyes and tried to remember that two sleeping children in the other room. The silencing spells were up within seconds as he turned to the headmaster.

"_YOU HIRED THE BLOODY WEREWOLF?"_

Dumbledore frowned at the term, "I wish you wouldn't think of him as such. He's as much a man as you or I."

His eyes nearly popped out of his head, "_HE TURNS INTO A RABID ANIMAL COME EVERY FULL MOON, ALBUS."_

"Severus." Dumbledore said firmly, "I would not have hired him if I was not confident in his abilities as a teacher and person. There's no reason for you or I to doubt him."

Shaking with rage at the old wizard's incompetence, Snape gripped the back of his chair tightly, "And what about the fact that he is the very best of friends with dear old Sirius Black? Did the thought never cross your mind that he's applied for the position so he can help the bloody maniac murder my daughter and her brother?" he said in a low, dangerous tone.

"He would never betray James and Lily like that." Dumbledore said quietly, "Sirius had said he'd suspected Remus in order to throw us off his trial. Remus was always devoted to the Order. You remember seeing him after James' death."

"I don't like it." Snape muttered, "There's a hidden agenda, there always was with the bloody Marauders, even if it is just one of them."

"Will you ever put them behind you?" Dumbledore asked gently, and Snape's gaze snapped over to him.

"What?"

"You're raising both of James' children; I would have thought you would have put this feud far behind you by now."

Snape stiffened at this, "I'm raising _Ariel _for _Lily's _sake, not James bloody Potter's. As for the smaller Potter, he's only here because of his sister, and the fact that his Muggle family should not be given charge of any child, even if they are James'."

Dumbledore's eyes saddened at this, "I see. Well, regardless, Remus _is _Ariel's legal godfather, so I'm sure she'll want to-"

"He's _what?_"

"You didn't know?" Dumbledore looked a bit taken aback, "I thought I informed you when I asked you if you would be her guardian."

"You know you didn't, Albus." Snape snarled, "Bloody brilliant, another thing she can think I've kept from her. Just brilliant."

"I assure you, Severus, I-"

"Save it, I don't want to hear your manipulative, conniving excuses."

Looking a bit hurt, Dumbledore rose from his chair, "Well, I won't bother you any longer than. If anything else should happen, I'll certainly let you know. If not, I'll see you at the Welcome Feast."

Snape nodded as Dumbledore exited. He was suddenly too tired to think of what had just transpired. The Marauders returning, even just the one, were enough to make his blood pressure skyrocket. And as if that weren't enough, a werewolf was his child's godfather.

Brilliant.


	20. Chapter 20

Snape found himself not being able to get a second of sleep that night, despite the fact that he was exhausted.

The scenes of the day kept playing over and over again in his head. Oh, how he wanted to kill Lucius the second the man opened his mouth. He was as arrogant and thickheaded as ever, as well as bad tempered. Snape had intervened just in time before things had gotten ugly, but the thought that horrified him the most was what would have happened if he hadn't come out of the backroom when he did. Lucius would have done something, something that wouldn't have been able to be traced back to him, that would make itself known when they least expected it. The Dark Lord had shown his followers many things, but Lucius had always seemed to be one step ahead when it came to flinging new curses.

He'd completely forgotten to ask about Damon when Dumbledore had come last night. He needed to get on that straight away. As angry as he was with Albus, the boy's safety was a priority. Snape shivered at the realization that the boy might not survive another summer with his uncle. Other arrangements had to be made.

These thoughts kept him awake all night as he tossed and turned, finally giving up when his alarm clock read six a.m. Forcing himself up, he dragged himself into the kitchen and quickly made coffee. Sometimes Snape wondered if he would have made it this far without caffeine.

Someone began stirring in the other room and Snape paused, listening. The dog soon made an entrance, followed by Potter, whose hair was looking frightful.

"Good morning, sir." said Harry as he leaned in the doorway, his tone implying that he had a lot more to say than just a greeting.

"Potter." Snape replied gruffly, "Is your sister awake?"

"No, sir. But I've been awake, waiting for you to get up." the boy's eyes narrowed a bit as Snape turned to face him.

"How long have you been awake?"

"Since midnight. I've been having nightmares all night and I couldn't fall asleep."

Snape raised an eyebrow, "Why didn't you come to me? I would have given you Dreamless Sleep."

"I didn't want to sleep. I've been planning on what to say to you." Potter didn't look as nervous as he did when he usually spoke to Snape, his voice clear and strong, and he stood up tall.

"Say to me? What is this about, Potter? I wasn't aware there was an issue we needed to discuss." Snape said blandly. Here were the James Potter dramatics.

"Yeah, there is. It's about what's happened."

Potter's green eyes held something that Snape had never seen before, something that caused his breath to catch in his throat for a moment. He swallowed quietly and crossed his arms, trying to maintain his rigid composure. He was becoming a bit worried now.

"I thought we discussed this; in order to avoid a confrontation with Lucius, I had to appear to have taken his side. I am aware it was a bit disturbing at the moment, but -"

"That's not what I was going to say." Harry interrupted, ignoring Snape's brief glower, "I was going to say this; I know you don't like me, and that I'm only here because of Ariel. I saw the way she acted towards you all year because of me, and I'm pretty sure that if I was in your position, I would do the same thing to make sure it ended." Potter took a deep breath, "However, that doesn't mean it doesn't bother me. If anything this summer with Ariel has taught me, and even this past year at Hogwarts, for that matter, is that _I count for something_. My parents _died _for me and Ariel. Do you know what my aunt and uncle told me? They said that they died in a drunk driving accident, that they had been on drugs for years and years and that Ariel and I came out messed up, and that it was a _blessing_ Ariel had died in the crash. And then one day, my sister shows up and tells me my parents died to save me, and that I'm not some freakish crack-baby, I'm a _wizard._" Tears were pouring down Potter's face now, although he maintained his strong composure, and continued to speak clearly, "You have your reasons for hating my father, and although you've never said why, I won't argue that you don't have one. But you _don't _have a reason to dislike _me_, or ignore _me_. I'm _not_ James Potter. I'm just _Harry_, just like Ariel is who she is. You took his other child in, and have raised her just fine, so what's wrong with me? Because I look just like him? If that's the case, then let me set the record straight; I'm not whoever James Potter was, although I wish I could have been as brave as him. _Stop_ _treating me as if I don't exist._"

He stopped again and allowed those words to sink in. Snape was speechless, goggling at the small boy in front of him, whose fists were now clenched tightly against his thin frame. Potter furiously wiped the tears away from his eyes as he spoke through gritted teeth, "I just don't get it. Ariel got a life with you while I got the Dursleys, who you realized almost the moment you met them couldn't stand me, and yet you treat me as if I'm some spoiled, self-entitled brat. Well, I'm not. I'm just a regular kid, and any normal kid wouldn't like being treated like they don't exist by a guardian, even if it is some nasty potions professor, for two entire months."

A glass suddenly shattered behind Snape, but he kept his eyes on the small boy in front of him, who looked as if a giant weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

A million thoughts were whirling through his mind right now, but stood out over all; the boy was right. Snape's chest was filling with something he wasn't familiar with as Potter fled the room, slamming his bedroom door behind him.

He'd never heard Potter say so much at one time. His first thought had been that he hadn't been entirely fair to Potter. While it hadn't taken much to love Ariel, _liking _Potter had been a completely different story. The thought now caused him to push his coffee away from him to keep from being sick. What was wrong with him? How could he have been such a hypocrite? He was as guilty as the Dursleys. He'd ignored the boy the entire summer for the sake of holding his tongue.

Potter may not look anything like Lily, but he had her heart. That's what Potter had said, even if he didn't know it.

For the first time, Snape found himself climbing the stairs the Potter's bedroom instead of Ariel's. He knocked several times, not bothering to wait for a reply as he opened the door. Potter was sitting sulkily on his bed, still wiping the tears from his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Professor, I shouldn't have said anything." Harry said loudly as Snape closed the door behind him, "Please, just forget it. I-"

"Potter." Snape held up a hand to silence him, "It is I who should be apologizing."

Harry looked up at him warily, "You don't have to apologize for hating my father. I just want you to acknowledge me without acting as if I'm some…"

He stopped and turned, trying to hide his face.

There went that blasted feeling in his chest again.

"Potter, turn around." Snape commanded, trying to sound gentle.

Harry shook his head and Snape sighed, "Pot- _Harry_. I can't talk to you unless you look at me."

Jumping a bit at the sound of his first name, Harry turned and looked at Snape with watery, green eyes.

_Damn you, Lily._

"Everything you said downstairs is absolutely correct." Snape began quietly, "I have no excuses for the way I've treated you at times, besides the fact that your father and I had our… differences. It does not pardon my behavior."

A small part of him was shrieking at him to stop apologizing to the James Potter clone, while the other half tried smothering that voice. Harry was staring at him in shock.

"I just… something snapped last night." he muttered, "When I apologized for yelling at you in Diagon Alley and you just waved me off like I was so irrelevant to what happened. Lucius upset me, y'know… they were my parents too." He sounded angry now, clutching the bed sheets.

Snape sighed, "I know, Pot- Harry. I apologize. I should have realized that yesterday was upsetting to you as well. I'm not used to thinking about more than one person outside of school. I will do better to… treat you right. You should not be a casualty in a long dead war between your father and I."

"Yeah, I got that."

Snape let the comment go, now was not the time to discipline.

"What about your nightmares?" Snape asked softly, staring straight into the boy's eyes.

Potter looked startled, then assumed his glare, "It's nothing, sir. I have them all the time, I only mentioned them to give a reason for me being up all night."

"All the time?" Snape asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah."

Snape found himself pushing further, "May I inquire as to the content?"

The green eyes widened, "Why do you wanna know about my dreams?"

"It helps to talk about them. No one should keep things bottled up; it's not healthy."

The boy looked as if he were arguing with himself before he answered, "Most of them are about parents or… or my aunt's family, sir."

Ah, there is was. Snape had been wondering when this issue would arise. Yes, he was going to have to tell Albus that his choice to simply "_leave the boy be" _was far more destructive than originally thought. He had to tread lightly now, the boy couldn't know that Snape already knew.

"The Muggles?" Snape raised an eyebrow.

Potter nodded, "Yeah they… they didn't like me much. They treated me like I was some kinda house elf."

"A _house elf?_" Snape tried to sound shocked, but felt his chest squeeze with guilt.

"Yeah. Uh, sir, no offense but, I really don't want to talk about this anymore." Potter was wringing his hands nervously.

"Of course, I apologize."

It was painfully silent for a moment before Snape cleared his throat, "Is there anything else?"

Harry blinked, "Else, sir?"

"I meant to say… is there anything else… bothering you?" Snape asked. It was suddenly incredibly awkward.

"Er- no, sir." mumbled Harry.

"Are you certain? Nothing about Black?" _Tread lightly, Severus._

Harry shook his head, "No, I've kinda tried to forget about that… I don't want to dwell on it." Snape could tell the boy was lying through his teeth, but decided now was not the time to push, "Has there been any news of him?"

"No, I'm afraid not. He's been quiet."

Godric began barking downstairs and they heard Ariel laugh, "_You silly mutt, calm down!"_

"We better go." Harry stood up quickly.

"Wait, Pot- Harry, promise me something before we leave." Snape stood in front of him, blocking the door.

"What, sir?"

"Promise you won't… you're not resentful of your sister, are you? This isn't her fault. She didn't… you know that if it had been her choice, she would have stayed with you and your aunt's family in a heartbeat, correct?"

Harry nodded, looking a bit offended, "Of course, sir. I know none of this is her fault." He went to walk around Snape, but he matched Harry's movements, still blocking his path.

"_And _I must establish that I must treat you like every other student when school is in session. I do have a reputation to uphold."

Harry raised an eyebrow, "A _reputation? _That's what you call it?"

Snape's lip curled a bit, "_It?"_

"You know what I mean." Harry glared back.

"I treat my students equally in the classroom, even your sister. Ask her yourself if you don't believe me." Snape said lowly, and Harry nodded.

"Fine, I get it. Reputation in the classroom. Got it." Harry waltzed around Snape as Ariel's laughter filled the room again.

Snape needed a fire whiskey, and it wasn't even eight o'clock.

The train whistled shrilly as the remaining students boarded. It seemed that every year Ariel was the last one saying goodbye to her father, even though she'd see him in a few hours. Godric was going ballistic as Harry struggled to keep his hold on the leash, "Godric, _heel!"_

"Behave." he gave his usual warning as Ariel hugged him tightly, and Harry nodded behind her, "That goes for you as well, Mr. Malfoy." Snape gave the boy, who was standing next to Harry, a warning look, "I won't have you tainting the Slytherin name before the year even begins."

Damon gave him small smile and nodded, "Of course, sir. I'll do my best."

Harry snickered as Ariel motioned for the two boys to follow, calling a "See you soon!" from the train as she disappeared down the corridor.

"Down here!" Ariel heard a familiar voice call, turning to see Hermione and Ron waving at them to join them in the last compartment. They made their way down, Ariel giving Hermione a quick hug before they sat down. She immediately noticed that the compartment was already occupied by a sleeping man, covered in a worn out trench coat. A briefcase with the name "_Professor R.J. Lupin" _was in the luggage rack above their heads. Ariel took a seat next to the unconscious professor, with Damon next to her, and the three other second years taking the seat across from them. Godric made himself comfy at Ariel's feet as Ron began scratching his ears.

"Do you reckon he's the new Defense teacher?" Damon whispered, and Ariel nodded.

"Must be, with Quirrell gone-" she stopped when she saw Harry flinch.

There was an uncomfortable silence before Ron finally spoke, "So Harry, what exactly happened the day we saw you in Diagon Alley, with Lucius Malfoy? Snape looked as if he wanted to curse something into bloody oblivion."

Damon paled a bit as Harry's face hardened, "He cornered Ariel, Damon, and me in the bookstore and started talking about how Snape should have never taken Ariel in this first place, and about Black and how our parents never saw it coming-"

"Never saw what coming?" Hermione interrupted.

"Oh, that's right. We didn't have a chance to tell you-" Harry bit his lip.

"Tell us what?" Ron demanded, "What does Black have to do with your parents?"

Harry began wringing his hands nervously and Ariel spoke up, "Black was friends with our parents, he was named Harry's godfather. He's escaped from Azkaban to come and kill me and Harry apparently. My Dad said he thinks he should finish Voldemort's work the night our parents died." She gave them all a serious look, "That doesn't leave this compartment, alright?"

Hermione and Ron nodded shakily as Damon muttered an "Of course" in agreement.

"That gives him even more of a motive to come and find you." Hermione moaned, "Oh, Harry, Ariel, you _must _be careful this year. Promise me you won't go looking for trouble."

"I don't." Harry defended himself, "Trouble usually finds _me."_

"Don't lecture him, Hermione." Ron said, "Let them finish. So what happened with Lucius?"

"So I started to lose my temper a bit," Ariel continued, "And I started mouthing off-"

"Rather brilliantly, I might add." Damon cut in, flashing her a grin.

She smirked back, "And I'm pretty sure my accidental magic was about to blow him into oblivion when Snape showed up. Apparently, I'd done a pretty good job pissing Blondie off," Damon and Ron snorted loudly, "because Snape had to make it seem like he was going to flatten us in order to avoid anything from Lucius."

Hermione was sucking in her cheeks in horror while Ron was grinning along with Damon.

"That's brilliant, Ariel!" Ron said excitedly, "Boy, I wish Snape had dueled him right then and there. What I wouldn't give to see someone take care of that toe-bag-"

"_Ron!_" Hermione hissed in horror, "Do you know how horrible that could have been? Lucius could have gotten Ariel in trouble with the Ministry if her magic had done something to him. Not to mention if _Snape_ hadstarted throwing spells at him-"

"Oh, come off it, Hermione. I was just kidding." Ron rolled his eyes.

Hermione huffed and crossed her arms as the rain suddenly picked up. The wind was howling so loud that they could hear it over the sound of the train.

Suddenly, they began to slow down and Godric sat up, growling throatily.

"Shhh, boy, what's wrong?" Ariel leaned down. Godric was beginning to shake a bit, the hair raised on the back of his neck. He quickly jumped up and stood in front of the compartment door. If Ariel hadn't been so afraid of his behavior, she won't have thought it was cute, the small puppy standing protectively in front of their masters.

The train came to a complete stop with a jolt and the lanterns went out simultaneously.

"We're not there yet, are we?" Harry asked, trying to look past the rain out the window.

Ariel shook her head, "No way, we still have a ways to go."

The sound of compartment doors sliding open and children murmuring was all they heard for a moment, until Ron gasped.

"I-I think there's someone boarding the train!"

"Who?" Hermione demanded, leaning over him to get a better look.

"_Ouch! _That's my foot!"

"Sorry, Ron."

"Quiet!" a hoarse voice whispered loudly, and Ariel turned to see Professor Lupin sitting up in his seat, suddenly very awake.

Godric began to whimper, and ran back to Ariel, attempting to jump onto her lap. She picked him up and wrapped her arms around the shaking animal, giving Damon a concerned look.

"Professor, wha-" Hermione began, but was silenced when a bright light appeared. The professor was holding a handful of bright, blue flames.

"Wait here." he ordered, standing up.

Before he could open the compartment door, a large, black hooded figure appeared outside the glass. Godric and Hermione's new cat, Crookshanks, began to hiss and growl together, although Godric made no attempt to leave Ariel's arms.

They all shrank back as the compartment door began to slide open, another hooded figure appearing by the first's side.

Whatever was beneath both cloaks began to draw a deep breath in the air, as if it were trying to suck something more from the surroundings.

A cold Ariel had never experienced before suddenly filled her head and chest, and she found it very difficult to breath. She suddenly felt as if she was being dragged underwater, a roaring filling her ears as she fell back, her eyes rolling into the back of her head. The roaring was then replaced with a woman shrieking, and Ariel recognized her.

"_Mum-" _she tried to cry out, but she was unable to find the strength to speak. The water continued to rush in her head until a familiar voice called her back.

"_Who was screaming?" _

"_No one was screaming, Harry."_

"_Ariel, wake up! Ariel- wait, guys I think she's coming around!"_

Her eyes fluttered open, meeting Damon's familiar pale blue ovals.

"Ariel." he breathed, "Are you alright?"

"I-I'm fine." she said shakily, sitting up. Hermione and Ron were surrounding Harry, who looked as confused as she felt. The lights were back on and the train was rushing through the stormy night once again.

"Here." a new voice said, a piece of chocolate suddenly appearing in front of her face, "Eat this, both of you. You'll feel much better."

She looked past the hand with the chocolate to look at Professor Lupin. His tattered robes fit his appearance, dark bags present under his eyes, and tints of grey in his hair. He had a young face, but his exhausted appearance made him look much older.

"Wha-what was that?" she asked. Godric whined at her feet, as she gave him a reassuring pat.

"A Dementor." Lupin replied, "They were searching the train for Sirius Black. I told them they wouldn't find him here, and sent them away."

Godric gave another whine and Lupin gave a small smile, "Quite a dog you have there. As soon as you and your brother passed out, he went straight for them. Brave, for a little thing. Although I can tell he's still young, he'll be terrifying when he's older."

The dog gave an appreciative bark and the children gave a small laugh.

"Now if you excuse me, I'm going to go speak to the driver." Lupin said. He handed the chocolate to Ariel and gave the remaining bar to Harry, "Eat it, it helps." And with that, he left.

"The rest of you didn't pass out?" Harry asked, and Ron, Hermione, and Damon shook their heads.

"No." Damon said, "Just you two. Are you alright?" he gave Ariel a worried look.

She nodded, and grabbed Harry's arm, "You okay?" she asked softly, and he nodded shakily.

"Yeah… I will be. I just feel sick." he took a small bite of the chocolate.

Ariel looked back to Damon, "Did you guys hear the scream?"

"I told you someone screamed!" Harry exclaimed before the others could answer.

"You guys didn't hear her?"

"Hear who, Ariel?" Damon whispered.

"It… it was my mum… she was screaming… how did you not hear her?" Ariel was shaking now as Harry's eyes widened in realization.

Damon wrapped a comforting arm around her and they rode the rest of the train ride in complete silence.

It was still storming when they arrived at Hogwarts. The five of them crammed into a carriage with Godric, still sitting in silence. Damon still hadn't taken his arm off of Ariel, who was grateful for the comfort.

Her stomach lurched when she saw two more Dementors standing guard at the front doors. Harry gave a little cry of surprise and she grabbed his hand as they ran up to the front steps.

"Is it true?" a nasty voice called, "Is it true the Precious Potters fainted at the sight of a Dementor on the train?"

Ariel turned to see Draco making his way behind them. Damon had his wand out before Ariel could tell him to piss off. Godric began barking and Ariel tightened her hold on his leash. The last thing they needed was Lucius up here because his son was attacked by a puppy. The thought made her snort, but she wouldn't put it past them.

"Shut up, Draco, or I swear I'll-"

"Or you'll what?" Draco sneered, "I don't scare as easily as _some _do."

Ariel tightened her grip on Harry's hand and whispered, "Just ignore him" into his ear. Harry nodded and gave her a small smile as Damon hurried behind them.

"I swear, he's going to get what's coming one day." he swore under his breath as Professor McGonagall hurried to meet the three of them as they entered the school. Hermione and Ron stopped for a moment, but Harry nodded them ahead.

"Potters, Malfoy, come with me." she waved them over.

As they followed her to her office, Ariel wondered if her father had been informed of the incident and groaned at the thought. They hadn't even been in the school thirty seconds and something had gone wrong.

"You're not in trouble." McGonagall assured them as she unlocked her door with a wave of her wand, "Professor Snape and Professor Lupin just wanted to make sure you're alright."

The door flew open, revealing her father and Lupin, who both looked rather tense. Snape's face had twisted into an expression of disgust while Lupin looked completely worn out.

Snape's expression changed into one of worry as soon as Ariel walked in, striding over to her.

"Are you alright?" he kneeled down, cupping her face in his hands, "Do you still feel sick?"

She shook her head, "No, Professor Lupin gave me chocolate on the train. I feel much better." She gave Lupin a small smile, who returned it.

"What about you, Harry? Are you alright?" Snape turned to her brother, who still looked clammy.

"Uh- yeah, I'm fine, sir. Just a bit cold still." he said quietly.

"And you, Malfoy?"

"I didn't pass out." Damon said, "But yes sir, I'm fine."

"I want Madam Pomfrey to have a look at the two of you." Snape stood up, McGonagall and Lupin nodding in agreement. Godric was leaping onto Snape, obviously ecstatic to see the man after a few hours.

"Down, you stupid mutt." Snape snapped and Godric backed off, whining back to Harry.

Lupin gave a small chuckle as Snape shot him a horrible glare. Ariel gave her father a confused look but he ignored her as Madam Pomfrey burst through the door. McGonagall took that as her cue to leave to go start Sorting.

She promptly looked Ariel and Harry over, giving them the all clear, but advising them to go to bed early that night. They nodded obediently and they all made their way to the Great Hall, where Sorting was just ending.

Ginny Weasley had been sorted into Gryffindor, to the entire table's delight. Ariel hugged her congratulations before she took her seat in between Fred and Harry.

"Welcome back to another year at Hogwarts!" Dumbledore's voice boomed throughout the hall as he excitedly looked down at the students, "Before we dive into our delicious feast, I'd like to ask for your full attention regarding some important announcements." he cleared his throat dramatically and Ariel saw Snape roll his eyes from the end of the table, "Firstly, many of you will have noticed the Dementors standing guard around the school. We will be playing house to them for a while, until the Ministry deems it necessary to remove them. They have been warned not to harm you, but do not give them a reason to. Dementors do not know mercy, or how to discern the one they hunt and they one who stands in their way."

The entire hall seemed to gulp simultaneously, except for Malfoy, who wiggled his hands spookily at Harry and snickered. Ariel shot him a murderous glare and he shrank back.

"Secondly," Dumbledore continued, "I am pleased to announce that the Defense Against the Dark Arts position has been filled by Remus Lupin. Please join me in welcoming him to our staff."

Professor Lupin stood up and gave a nod as the hall burst into applause, Ariel clapping a little louder than the others. She glanced over at Snape, who was not clapping, but glaring violently at the man.

"And lastly, I am delighted to announce that the Magical Creatures position has been filled by none other than our own Rubeus Hagrid."

Ariel, Harry, Hermione, and Ron jumped to their feet in shocked, whistling and cheering as Hagrid awkwardly stood up at waved, obviously as ecstatic as she was.

The Welcome Feast was as extravagant as it always was. Ariel and Harry had eaten far more than usual, Hermione suspected it was because of the Dementors.

Towards the end of dessert, a familiar, horse voice called her name, and Ariel turned to see Professor Lupin standing behind her.

"How are you two feeling?" Lupin gave a small smile at Ariel and Harry, his eyes lingering on her.

Swallowing a mouthful of pudding, Harry nodded, "Much better, sir, the chocolate really helped."

"I told you." He gave a small laugh, "But I'm glad, you didn't look too good earlier." Lupin turned to just Ariel now, "I was wondering if I could talk to you after the feast, there's something I'd like to discuss with you?"

She gulped, "Am I in trouble, sir?"

Lupin shook his head, "Of course not. It's just-it's something-" The professor suddenly looked very uncomfortable.

"It's fine, sir. I'll be there." Ariel reassured him, and he gave her an appreciative smile.

"Brilliant, thank you."

She watched Lupin walk out of the hall and was about to turn back to her friends when Snape took Lupin's place.

"What did Professor Lupin want?" he asked flatly, something malicious gleaming in his black eyes.

A bit taken aback, it took her a moment to respond, "He-he wanted to talk to me in his office."

"Why?" Snape demanded, his lip beginning to curl.

"He didn't say." She replied, furrowing her brow in confusion. What was his deal?

"You're not to go." He commanded, "Come straight to my quarters after dinner."

Before she could ask why, he threw his robes behind him dramatically and billowed out of the hall.

Harry had stopped mid-bite in shock when Ariel finally turned back to her friends.

"I just saw Lupin and Snape, what'd they want?" Damon sat down next to Ariel before anyone could say anything. Several Gryffindors recoiled in disgust and began talking in hushed voices, glaring viciously at the Slytherin intruder.

"Lupin wanted to talk to me and Snape told me not to go." Ariel shook her head. She felt like she was spinning. What did Lupin want to speak to her about? The Dementors? It hadn't been _that _big of a deal, and Madam Pomfrey had said her and Harry were fine. Not to mention that Snape was treating Lupin as if he was one of Longbottom's infamously botched potions.

"What? Why? Lupin saved you on the train, wouldn't you think he'd be his biggest fan?" Damon asked, grabbing a biscuit from the center of the table. A chorus of hissing Gryffindors accompanied his motions.

"Well, I guess you won't know now." Hermione said, standing up, "He obviously doesn't want you anywhere near him."

Ariel mirrored her, "Actually, I'm gonna go anyway. I'll tell Snape I went up to Gryffindor Tower first. He'll never know."

Damon grinned at her while Hermione frowned, "Ariel, don't start off the year lying to him again. He won't be happy if he finds out you-"

Ariel was out the double doors before Hermione could finish.

Ariel rapped at Professor Lupin's door lightly.

"Come in." a warm voice called, and Ariel entered. Lupin was seated on the couch with two large cups of cocoa and a plate of biscuits waiting.

"Still feeling alright?" Lupin asked, a glint of worry in his tired eyes as he passed Ariel a mug.

"Yes, sir." She gave him a small smile as she sat, "Thank you."

"I'm glad. I have to say, you and your brother gave me quite a fright on the train. Dementors can be unpleasant, but not everyone faints at the sight of them."

"I wasn't scared of them." She said, annoyed.

"Forgive me." Lupin said gently, "I didn't mean to imply that you're weak. It came across to me, that they might've been targeting you and Harry."

She blinked, "_Targeting_ us?"

"Yes." He nodded, "They gravitated to you as soon as they boarded. Do you know why?" he leaned forward.

Staring at him blankly, she put the mug of cocoa back down on the table, "Why would I know something like that?"

Lupin shook his head, "I'm sorry, that's not what I meant. Forget I said anything." He gave her a kind smile.

Confused and wary, she leaned back in her seat. Maybe she should have listened to Snape. "Why did you ask me here, professor?"

The professor's smile waned, suddenly looking rather nervous, "Right, er, well, it's rather complicated. I thought you might already know, but seeing as you didn't recognize me on the train…"

"Why would I recognize you?" she raised an eyebrow, "Have we met before?"

He was very quiet for a moment, "I knew your father, James, that is. We were best friends when we were in school."

Her heart skipped a beat, "So… so you knew Sirius Black."

His eyes snapped to hers, "Yes." He said curtly, "But that's not why I asked you here."

Lupin paused and took a deep breath, "Your parents, James and Lily, made me your godfather."


	21. Chapter 21

The first thought that came into her head should have been about the man in front of her, but instead, Ariel was thinking about whether she was going to kill her father or not.

"My what?" she heard herself whisper.

"Your godfather." Lupin repeated softly, reaching a hesitant hand forward, "I know I haven't exactly… what I mean is-"

She moved away from his outstretched hand. Professor Lupin cut off, looking as if he was on the verge of tears, guilt very present on his face.

The realization was starting to finally set in.

"Why didn't you ever come and see me?" she'd blurted out the question before she could stop herself.

The professor was avoiding her eyes now, "I don't know."

"What do you mean '_you don't know'."_ she asked angrily.

"After your parents died, Ariel, I wanted to see you and your brother more than anything. I would have taken you both in a heartbeat-"

"So why didn't you?" she demanded.

Lupin hesitated, "The headmaster believed it wouldn't be wise for me to take you. He wanted someone who could protect you both adequately-"

"And you couldn't do that? Why not?" Ariel crossed her arms in front of her, scowling.

"I was a mess after your parent's deaths… after what happened... I wasn't in the proper state of mind to take care of two small children-"

"That still doesn't answer why you stayed away all this time." Ariel snapped.

She was surprised to see tears in the young man's eyes, "I was afraid."

"_Afraid_?"

"I couldn't… I didn't think I'd be a good parental figure for you. Dumbledore assured me that you were in good hands-" He broke off, staring at the floor.

Ariel was very quiet for a moment, her head still swimming. Surprisingly, it wasn't over Lupin being her godfather. Okay, maybe it was, but even more importantly, he had known her _father._

Snape had told her when she was younger that he'd never known both her parents personally, which was obvious a lie now. He'd hated James Potter, quite passionately from what Quirrell had said, and Snape had confirmed it himself. At first, Ariel had wondered if her parents had been hermits or something, no one seemed to have been good friends with them. Now here was Lupin, claiming to have been best mates with her father, a piece of her past finally coming into the light.

"You-you said that you were best mates with my dad?" she asked softly, causing the distressed professor's head to snap up, his eyes still watery.

"Yes." He wiped his face, giving Ariel an embarrassed smile, "He was there for me when no one else was, despite what others might have thought. Lily, your mother, had actually insisted that I be your godfather. Your parents were the only family I had." His face was a million miles away in the past now.

So this was why Snape had banned her from speaking to him.

"So does my Dad, Snape I mean, hate you as much as he hated my real dad?" Ariel asked, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.

Lupin's eyes snapped back to hers, looking a bit taken aback, "He-he told you about that? He told you about James and Sirius?"

Her heart skipped a beat, "Sirius? You mean _Sirius Black_?"

The professor paled, "Answer me first, Ariel. What did Severus tell you about your father?"

"He didn't tell me, it was Quirrell. He said that Dad and…er…_Dad _had absolutely hated each other in school. Dad confirmed it, but he doesn't like talking about it." She squirmed uncomfortably in her seat.

Lupin relaxed a bit, "And what did he tell you of Black?"

"That he was Harry's godfather, and that he was another close friend of Dad's that was apparently some double agent for Voldemort." She said quickly, wanting to know all about Black, "So Dad and Black and you were friends? What was he like? Did he know-" She stopped at the professor's pained expression. She quickly cleared her throat and mumbled an "_I'm sorry_".

He sighed deeply and leaned back, "You don't need to apologize. It's natural for you to be curious. To answer your question, yes, the three of us were best mates."

"So I'm guessing that's why my Dad was giving you such horrid looks tonight?" Ariel asked, thinking about her father's dark expression during the feast, "He hates you too?"

Lupin nervously crossed his legs, "Severus and I had our…_ differences _in school, maybe not as much as James and him, but I don't think it's too farfetched to say he regards me as less than likeable."

Ariel suppressed a snort. Nothing about this was funny, but she found herself fighting the urge to laugh. All of this was going to drive her crazy, she could feel it. She half expected Professor McGonagall to waltz in and declare that she was the Queen of England.

"So why are you here now?" Ariel asked, "I mean, you must know that Snape's after your new job, that he hates you, and that the defense position is cursed or whatever. Why did you take it?"

The man smiled gently, "Well, that's the easiest question you've asked so far. I took this job so that I could meet you."

She blinked and he laughed softly, "I regret staying away all these years, Ariel. I failed James and Lily in that regard, and for that, I apologize to you." He hung his head, "I should have been there for you and Harry the second Voldemort attacked you that Halloween. I can't make up for the childhood I've missed, but it seems that my influence wouldn't have done much." He looked up and smiled a bit, "Severus has done a wonderful job from what I've heard, you're top of your class, you have lot of friends, you're a talented witch-"

"Did my Dad tell you that?" she interrupted. She wasn't used to people bragging about her and she felt a bit uncomfortable hearing it from someone who was a complete stranger a minute ago.

"He did, actually, along with the headmaster and Professor McGonagall. When I told him about the Dementors, he and I got into a bit of an-er- _disagreement _about how I should go about breaking this news to you, and he mentioned how'd you've done wonderfully without me." Lupin gave another sad smile, something deep moving in his light eyes.

Ariel smirked to herself for a moment. Snape had bragged about her? That was a new one, he'd never mentioned being proud or anything; she'd assumed that was another unspoken truth between the two of them. It was nice to know that her efforts weren't going unnoticed.

"I still wish you would have reached out. I thought I had no one but Harry, and we were separated. It would have been nice to have someone who knew mum and dad around." She looked down, staring at her boots.

"I can't begin to express the remorse I feel about staying away. I'm going to make it up to you, I promise." There was a burst of passion in his voice as Ariel looked up.

"Harry too? You'll reach out to him too?"

"Of course. I might be your godfather, but I care about him as much as you."

Ariel wondered how much that actually was, considering the fact that he'd been unknown to her entire life, but saw the promise in his eyes and found herself believing every word he said.

"I-I should go, my Dad wanted to talk to me about something before curfew." She said abruptly, standing up. She needed to go and clear her head before she talked to her father.

"Of course." Lupin stood up, his expression looking a bit disappointed.

She got to the doorway before she turned back around, "Professor, just one more thing-"

"Yes?" he asked.

"Did my Dad know you were my godfather? I mean… he didn't make you stay away from me because he hates you, right?"

Lupin gave her a long look, "No, he never forbid me from seeing you. I asked him if he knew earlier and he said that he had no knowledge that you had a godparent when he adopted you. He seemed rather annoyed that Dumbledore never relayed that to him, actually. Apparently the headmaster only told him a week or so ago."

Well, now she had less of a reason to kill him. "Is it weird?" Ariel asked, "I mean, he hates you, and he raised his enemy's kid. That- that never bothered you?"

He looked up thoughtfully, "Severus may hate your father and I, but I didn't think he had it in him to take it out on a child. Although, you look nothing like James, so it must have been easier for him. From what you've said, he didn't raise you to turn you against James, and I have a lot of respect for him regarding that."

She nodded, and decided to push even further, "Can I ask you what made you two hate each other so much?"

"I don't hate your father one bit." Lupin corrected, "As for Severus and James… you may want to ask your father about that. He's already unhappy with me for talking to you, I doubt he'd want me explaining _that _situation."

Well, she had tried. Ariel gave him a shy smile as she put her hand on the doorknob, "I understand. Goodnight, Professor, I-I guess I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow." he agreed.

For some reason, Ariel thought she heard a lot more than just "_tomorrow" _in that one word.

Ariel walked a bit slower as she made her way down to the dungeons. A cool breeze floated through the corridor and she found herself shivering. It was only the first day of September, and she already missed the lake house with Harry. Summers with Snape had always been great, but it had been brilliant to spend it with her brother. It was odd now, thinking of a time when Harry wasn't around. Even though she'd only been with him for a year now, it felt as if he had always been around. She'd certainly experienced more with him than most people would in a lifetime.

It was nearly curfew as Ariel descended to the dungeons. It was even colder down there, the walls frigid to the touch. She quickly muttered the password to her father's quarters and entered swiftly to find him sitting at his desk, looking as if he'd been waiting for her for a very long time.

The looks had been giving Lupin earlier looked friendly compared to the expression on his sallow face now.

There was a long silence, both waiting for the other to speak first. Ariel crossed her arms in front of her and jutted out her hip, huffing at Snape when he rolled his eyes.

"You spoke to Lupin?" Snape asked flatly, although it sounded more like a statement.

Ariel walked towards his desk and put her hands on the wooden top, "How long did you know?"

His eyes narrowed, "We're discussing your defiance before we talk about your _godfather_." Snape said coolly, spitting the last word.

Anger flared like a wildfire in Ariel's chest. This situation was all too familiar to her, and she was getting pretty sick of history repeating itself.

"Did you not want me to know? Were you planning to keep this from me just because you hate him?" she snapped.

"Of course he mentioned that." Snape mumbled to himself, pinching the bridge on his nose tightly, "I ask him one favor and the bloody idiot blurts everything out before I talk to her." His eyes snapped back to her, "What else did he tell you?"

"That he doesn't hate _you_." Ariel said, standing up for the new professor.

Snape snorted and leaned over the desk, "Anything _else_? Preferably something that isn't complete nonsense?"

Ariel flinched a bit at his tone but quickly recovered, "He just explained why he stayed away, that was all."

Sighing, Snape took his seat again, rubbing his temple. It was quiet for a long moment before Ariel spoke up, "So you _were_ you going to tell me? You weren't going to warn me to stay away from him?"

"Of course I was going to tell you." Snape sighed deeply, "The headmaster came to me before school started and told me Professor Lupin would be a teacher and informed me of your… _relation_. I wish you hadn't gone to him first, but I can't blame you entirely. You were… _coerced._"

"Coerced?" Ariel asked, her brows furrowing in confusion.

"Naturally, Lupin knew you'd be more curious to see what he'd have to say than me. I'd asked him to let me speak to you first, and he ignored my request." Snape said, maliciousness coating his voice.

"I don't think that's it." Ariel said disapprovingly, "He felt really bad about not seeing me and Harry after all this time. I think he just wanted to get it off his chest so he could start fresh."

"You don't know him like I do, Ariel." Her father's onyx eyes glittering with something Ariel had never seen before, even when Snape had heard James Potter's name. Ariel could only imagine what this school year was going to hold if her father and Lupin were constantly at odds.

Her face must have reflected her thoughts, because Snape leaned forward, a bit of concern leaking through his livid face, "Are you alright? Did… did I upset you?"

"No." she mumbled, "I'm fine. It's just been a long day."

Snape nodded, "Indeed. Between the Dementors and this new… _development, _anyone would be dead on their feet." He motioned to her bedroom with his head and she obediently followed his silent order.

It wasn't a complete lie, she was beat. A part of her felt a bit guilty that she'd be leaving Harry on the first night of term, but decided he'd understand once she told him about Lupin. Besides, he had Ron and Hermione with him, he wasn't alone. Godric was bound to be with him too.

She sat down on her bed, dressed in an old t-shirt and sweatpants and looked at the pictures on her nightstand. The first one was the one Damon had sent to Fred and George to give her on her birthday. She felt a twinge of guilt at that. Damon had always been such a good friend to her and she hadn't been able to see him once over the summer holiday, besides the disastrous Diagon Alley meeting. After meeting Lucius, she would have to make sure something was done to get him away. He'd never blatantly said it, but it was obvious he hated living with the bastard and his cousin. Ariel was going to have to talk to Snape and the headmaster about that soon.

Beside that one was one she had taken from the album Snape had sent her last Christmas. She was around four, giggling in Snape's arms while he gave her a warm glower. Things had been so simple when she was younger when it came to Snape. It was so complicated now, not that it made her love him any less. She silently snorted to herself. The word _love _was so odd when referring to him sometimes.

The memory filled her chest with a wonderful warm feeling as she noticed her dad standing in the doorway, looking at her with a hint of affection on his otherwise blank face. Ariel grabbed the picture of them and tossed it to him.

He caught it almost effortlessly, giving it a quick glance and smirking.

"Do you remember that?" she asked, "I think it was my fourth birthday or something."

"I do." He said, taking a step into the room. His long fingers were tracing over the frame now, "You had requested a rainbow birthday cake, if I recall correctly."

She laughed as the memory came back to her, "And that you let me dye my hair pink!"

"_Pink._" He moaned playfully as he took a seat beside her on the bed, "One of the most disappointing moments in my time as a parent."

"You should have been proud. Not every kid is as creative as that."

"Creative? I was thinking delusional."

Ariel swatted his arm as she let out another laugh, "You're horrible."

"More like _responsible_."

"Or _boring-_"

"Now _you're_ hitting below the belt." He leaned against the wall, crossing his arms mockingly.

Ariel joined him as she leaned her head against his shoulder, "I was a great kid. Despite the fact that I was the Chosen One or whatever, my presence was always a privilege." She teased.

"Yes, watching you draw and stack blocks was my euphoria." She giggled as he rolled his eyes dramatically.

"That's more like it." Ariel teased and he chuckled, wrapping an arm around her. They sat in silence for a long time before she spoke again.

"I miss this."

Snape didn't say anything, but simply wrapped his arm tighter around her middle.

"Can I ask you something?" Ariel asked quietly.

He seemed to hesitate before answering, "Of course."

"If you hated James Potter so much, why'd you adopt me?" she looked up to find Snape looking down at her, his black eyes drilling a hole into her head. His body stiffened as he struggled to give an answer.

"Dumbledore thought I would be able to protect you should any remaining Death Eaters try to find you. He didn't want you and your brother together, and your aunt's blood wards would protect him, but you knew that." He finally said shortly.

"That's it? That's the only reason?"

"Yes." Snape was lying; she could hear it in his voice.

"So… how long did it take you to realize that you liked me? I mean, I kinda remember our first meeting and you weren't very… nice." She wrinkled her nose.

"I suppose after the blood adoption." Snape said, his jaw was set firmly, telling Ariel that she was pushing it again, "There was a bond made that couldn't be ignored."

Ariel decided to let the subject go for now and stopped asking questions. He didn't say anything else either as she began to trace the patterns on the bedspread with her pinky finger, avoiding her father's gaze.

"I should let you rest." Snape said as she yawned. She was fighting to keep her eyes open at this point, and was grateful that her father had caught on. Unless she had freaked him out with the last question and this was his way of escaping.

He swiftly removed himself for the bed as Ariel snuggled under the warm blankets.

"What?" she asked as Snape gave her a long look, yawning.

Instead of answering her, he gave her a quick kiss on the forehead, something he rarely did, and strided out of the room.

Too tired to be confused, Ariel fell fast asleep.

"_Calm down Godric!" _Harry pleaded as the puppy bounded happily into the Great Hall the next morning, nearly knocking Ariel off her bench.

"Hey puppy." She crooned, rubbing the dog's head affectionately as he took his place at her feet.

"Well good morning to you too." Damon gave a devilish smirk as he took a seat beside her, wiggling his eyebrows. The surrounding Gryffindors gaped at the Slytherin's boldness, sitting at the Gryffindor table! What universe was the kid living in!

"Where were you last night?" Harry demanded, taking a seat opposite Ariel and Damon with Ron and Hermione. The redhead quickly began scooping a generous amount of French toast onto his plate, causing Hermione to recoil in disgust.

"Really, Ronald? Can't you act like a gentlemen for once?" the bushy haired girl snapped.

Ron grunted in indifference and began pouring syrup onto his plate.

"I slept in my Dad's quarters." Ariel explained, ignoring the spat over table manners.

"Did you talk to Lupin?" Damon asked eagerly, taking a swig of pumpkin juice.

"Yeah, I have to tell you about that." Ariel quickly looked around to make sure no one else was in earshot. All of the Gryffindors had moved away once Damon had sat down, leaving no room for eavesdroppers.

She quickly motioned for the group to lean towards her and quickly informed them of the new DADA's relation to her.

Harry's green eyes were as big as owls by the time she had finished, "Your _godfather_? You never told me you had one!"

"I didn't know, and neither did Snape apparently. Our dad and Lupin were best friends, along with Sirius Black-"

Hermione was looking rather sick at this point, "I don't like this." She muttered, "I don't like this at all."

"S-Sirius Black?" Ron stuttered, dropping his fork.

"What did he say about him?" Harry asked impatiently, leaning over his still empty plate.

Ariel shook her head, "Nothing, I tried asking but I think… it seemed to upset him. They were best friends after all."

Harry's face darkened at this, "I hope he does find me, so that when-"

"_Harry_." Ariel and Hermione hissed at once.

Harry and Damon gave them both questioning looks.

"Harry, listen to me." Ariel commanded, "Black is _dangerous_. As much as I want him to pay for betraying mum and dad, we have to be careful."

"That's not fair." Damon cut in, "You can't blame him for wanting to be the one to do it. It's _his _godfather."

"That's not the point." Ariel hissed back, "I don't want him getting himself killed because he tried to go find Black. We're supposed to be staying _safe_, that was the whole point of the lake house."

"I don't need protection." Harry argued, "I can take care of myself. If Black comes looking for me and you, I'm gonna be ready."

"You tell em' mate!" Ron said through a mouthful of sausage as Hermione shot him a wild glare.

"Don't encourage him, you idiot." She snapped, "You honestly want your best mate to leave the safety of the school to go and murder a sadistic Death Eater?"

"Of course not." Ron said, rolling his eyes, "But I'm with Damon on this one. Harry has a right to feel this way, you can't blame him for _wanting _to do it."

"Ok, ok, enough talking about Black." Ariel said quickly, "We shouldn't be dwelling on this. What's important is we're both safe and that Professor Lupin chose to reach out to us. That's all that matters."

Hermione nodded in agreement while the boys grumbled under their breath.

After breakfast, Harry, Hermione, and Ron had Potions first thing, to Ron's horror. Luckily, Ariel and Damon didn't have DADA until a little later. She was grateful that she'd have time to talk to her best friend by herself.

Wishing them good luck, Damon and Ariel decided to take Godric for a walk around the grounds. Godric took off the second Ariel unclipped the leash, leaving Ariel and Damon to trail behind.

"I'm sorry we left you with your uncle back in Diagon Alley." Ariel began. They were walking shoulder to shoulder now, watching as Godric attacked a stray tree branch.

Damon look surprised, "Why? You couldn't do anything. If anyone should be apologizing, it should be me."

It was Ariel's turn to look surprised, "_You_? We left you with him!"

"He's my guardian." Damon kicked a rock, catching Godric's attention. The dog's ears shot up in curiosity as Damon bent down and threw the stone. Godric took off, barking madly as he attempted to locate the strange item.

"That's not an excuse." Ariel muttered, "I should have fought to make sure you were safe."

"That's not one of your Golden Girl responsibilities." Damon teased softly, "And Lucius didn't lay a hand on me, if that's what you're worried about. We may hate each other, and Merlin knows he'd love to, but Aunt Cissy has made it pretty clear that if he touches me, it'll be the last thing he ever does."

Ariel raised her eyebrows in astonishment as Damon chuckled at her face, "Yeah, Cissy may be married to the prick, but she's still my mum's sister. She knows that if Bellatrix ever found out they'd touched her kid, they'd be far worse than dead."

"I didn't know your mum was protective of you." Ariel said.

He shrugged, "I don't remember her much, but I know enough about her to know that she was the worst kind of person, and probably an even worse mother. Any protectiveness she might have felt would probably be because she wanted to dish the punishment out herself. I had found some articles in the Dailey Prophet about some of the things my parents did and-" he swallowed loudly, "they made me sick. My uncle and aunt parade around, telling Draco and I that they were loyal servants and how the Dark Lord would have rewarded them for their deeds. I just don't get it."

Damon was shaking as Ariel threw her arms around him. Neither said anything for a long time as Godric continued to frolic through the grass, finally tearing them away from each other when the dog began barking frantically.

Ariel turned to see a large black dog making its way out of the forest, sniffing around in the grass. The beast looked up when the puppy began barking, its yellow eyes locking on Ariel. Slowly taking a few steps forward, the dog began to make its way towards them.

"Godric, come!" Ariel called, a bit of panic leaking into her voice. The puppy had frozen in place, the hair raised on the back of his neck like it had when the Dementors had attacked. His head snapped back to his owner when he heard his name, racing across the expanse to her.

"Let's go." She said, clipping the leash to Godric's collar, "I don't like the look of that thing." The black dog was beginning to pick up speed and Ariel quickly tugged Godric along.

"I don't either." Damon agreed, guiding Ariel in front of him, almost protectively, "Do you think it's someone's? Or just a stray?"

"It certainly doesn't look like anyone's, it's _huge_." They were walking faster than normal pace to the front steps now. She almost stumbled when she heard the black dog give out a loud growl, sounding far too close behind them.

"_Run!" _Damon yelped, picking up Godric and Ariel obeyed, not bothering to look back. Within seconds they were in the safe confines of the castle, gasping for breath.

"Geez," Damon rasped, bending over to let Godric down, who was shaking terribly, "That was close."

Godric had whimpered over to Ariel now, who took the terrified animal in her arms, "It's alright boy, you're okay-"

"Are you two alright?" a soft voiced asked, and Ariel's head snapped up. Professor Lupin was standing a few feet away from them, looking a bit amused at the sight in front of him.

"We're fine, Professor." Ariel gave a small smile back, "Just some animal trouble."

"I see." Lupin chuckled, "Well he must have given you both quite a workout. Why don't you come down to my office for some tea before class?"

"Er- actually sir-" Damon began, meaning to tell the professor of the black beast, but Ariel cut him off.

"Sure, we'd love to." She ignored Damon's questioning look as Lupin beamed. They had been attacked by Dementors within the first hour of being on the train, no need to add a possible dog attack on the first day of classes as well.

"Well, follow me then." Lupin said cheerfully, leading them to his office. It was quite different from how Quirrell had decorated it. Instead of it smelling horribly of garlic and assorted herbs and covered in different kinds of vampiric wards, Lupin had decorated quite plainly, although it gave off a wonderful, warm glow. She hadn't noticed that the night before.

"Thank you, sir." She said as Lupin handed her and Damon each a cup. He motioned for them to sit in the seats in front of his desk while he made himself comfortable in a large swivel chair.

"I don't believe we've officially met." Lupin said, looking at Damon.

"No sir." Damon shook his head, "I'm Damon, Damon Malfoy." He seemed to have tried very hard not to spit the last name.

Lupin raised an eyebrow, "I wasn't aware Lucius had two sons."

"He doesn't." Damon replied curtly, "He adopted me. I'm his sister-in-law's son."

When most people realized who Damon was, they tended to turn a rather ugly grey color, but Ariel was surprised to see that Lupin simply nodded politely in return.

"And you're a Gryffindor?" the professor asked.

Damon shook his head, "No, sir, I'm a Slytherin."

"Then why were you sitting at the Gryffindor table this morning?"

"To talk to my friends, sir."

Lupin chuckled, another unexpected reaction, "That takes a lot of guts, that does."

Damon said nothing, but Ariel caught a smirk playing on his lips.

"So!" Lupin said, clapping and rubbing his hands together, "As your new teacher, I want to make sure that you get the most out of this class, while also making sure you're enjoying yourselves. I remember wishing that some of the professors would try to make class fun when I was your age."

"Fun?" Ariel asked curiously, Damon mirroring her reaction.

"Fun." Lupin repeated, smiling, "How much do you two know about dark creatures?"

Ariel and Damon exchanged a look, "Not much, sir." Damon said, "Quirrell, er, didn't really teach anything other than vampires."

"So I've been told." Lupin stood up, "Well, I can assure you that won't be the case this year. I want to jump right into it. We'll be studying a creature today, actually. I've found a live specimen"

"Really?" Ariel asked excitedly, leaning forward.

"Indeed." He seemed pleased at the children's enthusiasm.

"So what are we studying?" Damon asked as Godric, who Ariel had momentarily forgotten was in the room, jumped onto his lap.

"You're going to have to wait until class for that, unfortunately." Lupin smiled, "Which I should actually start preparing for now, it's later than I expected."

Ariel must have looked disappointed, because Lupin have her a reassuring smile, "Don't worry, you won't have to wait long. But don't tell anyone else, I wouldn't want to give away my secrets to everyone." He winked.

"He seems brilliant." Damon stated as they left the professor's office with Godric, "And it seems like he's really trying with you."

"I suppose so." Ariel shrugged, although she felt her heart swell a bit.

"We still have some time… what do you wanna do?" Damon asked, "Do you think Harry's class is over?"

She shook her head, "He had double potions." An idea suddenly popped into her head and she smiled mischievously, "Wanna go sit in on the class?"

"No way." Damon said quickly, "I spend too much time trying to get away from that class. I don't want to spend any more time than needed in the bloody dungeon."

"Oh come on," she pleaded, "What's he gonna do? Give us detention for watching a bunch of second years blow up cauldrons?"

"Well, I have heard that Longbottom has a talent for doing just that." He snorted, and then sighed dramatically, "Fine, let's go sit in on the bat's class."

The dungeons weren't as cold as they had been the night before, but a chilly breeze passed through them as they opened the classroom door.

Twenty three heads spun and gaped as the two of them entered, and then spinning back to look at the potion master, whose expression caused Neville Longbottom to whimper.

Damon pulled on Ariel's robe, "This was a bad idea, let's go." He hissed.

She ignored him and made her way to the front of the room.

Snape was gripping the sides of his chair tightly, his long fingers turning paler from the stress. "As you were." He snarled to the rest of the students, "This unexpected interruption will not gain you extra time on your assignment."

The second years hurriedly returned to what they were doing. Ariel saw Harry give her a smirk before he went back to cutting some kind of root with Ron.

Snape, on the other hand, didn't look as pleased to see them.

"What happened?" the professor asked the second they had approached his desk.

She blinked, "Happened?"

"I wasn't aware I needed an echo."

Frowning, she turned to Damon, who looked just as confused as she was, "Nothing's happened; we had free time and wanted to come watch the class." She said, crossing her arms in front of her, "If I had realized how much of an issue that was, I wouldn't have come. Sorry."

"I do not appreciate my class being invaded."

This _had_ been a bad idea, "We'll go now." She turned on her heel as she heard Damon mutter "_Thank Merlin"_ under his breath.

"Wait."

She felt a smile playing on her lips as she turned back to Snape, "Yes?"

"You'll both receive a detention for disrupting class time." His face was blank as Damon let out a moan.

"_That's not fair!" _she cried, "We just wanted to come and see what Harry was-"

"You need to learn, Miss Potter, that just because I am your parent, that doesn't mean the rules don't apply to you as well. No other students are allowed to 'sit in' on other classes just because they have free time. It's a distraction and it will not be tolerated, certainly not in my classroom. Detention tonight, my office, seven o'clock." Snape was studying her closely, as if waiting for a bomb to go off.

Every fiber of her being was screaming for her to defend herself, but a tiny part of her brain whispered that getting angry was the reaction of a three year old.

"Fine." Ariel said curtly, "I apologize for interrupting your class, _sir._"

And with that, she flipped her hair dramatically and dragged Damon out of the dungeons.

Professor Lupin had brought in a Boggart for the first day of classes. Ariel shot Damon a nervous glance as the wardrobe shook again violently.

"Now, the best and possibly only way to get rid of a Boggart is laughter. When the Boggart appears in whatever form it takes, you must shout '_Riddikulus!'_" Lupin said to the class as he noticed the wary faces around him. His eyes glanced over the crowd before resting on Cho Chang.

"Ah, Miss Chang! Would you be so kind as to join me at the front?"

The Ravenclaw nodded quickly, making her way to the front of the class.

"Now, Miss Chang, what do you fear most?" the professor asked softly.

"S-snakes sir." The girl was clearly not used to having all the attention on her.

"Ah, yes, quite a common fear." Lupin patted her shoulder reassuringly, "Now, I want you to-"

The rest was cut off as he leaned close to Chang and whispered into her ear. Chang nodded and took a hesitant step forward, her wand at the ready.

The wardrobe unlocked with a loud _click_ and sure enough, out slithered a ten foot cobra, hissing menacingly at the quivering Ravenclaw.

For a moment, it looked as if Chang was going to try and make a run for it, but instead she raised her wand higher and cried, "_Riddikulus!"_

There was a loud _crack _and the snake suddenly became a jack-in-the-box. The entire class burst into laughter and Lupin clapped his hands in applause, "Well done, well done! Well, who's next?"

Katie Bell took a confident step forward, and the jack-in-the-box morphed into a giant scorpion.

"_Riddikulus!" _she yelled, and suddenly the arachnid was wearing a brightly colored wig.

Roaring, the rest of the third years scurried to line up behind her, the sounds of their laughter, the loud _crack _of the Boggart shifting, and the word _Riddikulus_ being all that filled the room for several moments.

As the line quickly brought Ariel and Damon to the front, her excitement seemed to evaporate. What form would the Boggart take for her? She felt a cold chill wash over her as she realized that the Boggart might take the shape of Voldemort.

She was about to make her way to the back of the line when Damon stepped forward, the Boggart twisting and turning longer than it had for the other students, finally taking the form of a woman Ariel had never seen before. Long, dark hair, almost identical to the color of Damon's, fell around the woman's face in wild, thick curls. Her eyes a shocking blue, they stared hungrily at Damon as the boy's wand dropped from his hand, gaping at the woman in front of him.

Lupin was in front of Damon almost immediately. The Boggart changed into a silver orb, floating in mid-air.

"_Riddikulus!" _the professor cried, and the orb turned into a deflated balloon, zooming back in the wardrobe, which locked with another _click_.

"Alright, that's enough for today!" Lupin called to the class, who groaned. Lupin put a firm hand on Damon's shoulder, "You're assignment is to write me an essay on common places for Boggarts to be found, as well as the history of its origins. Due next Monday!"

The third years walked out of the classroom, still laughing at the lesson, while Ariel scrambled to the front of the room.

"Are you alright?" she asked worriedly. Damon was still staring at the place where the woman had stood, his eyes looking a bit glazed over.

"Damon?" she asked again softly. Lupin was starting to look a bit worried as well, until Damon finally blinked a couple of times and turned to her.

"M'fine." He mumbled, taking a deep breath. He reached down and picked up his wand, "I just- that was unexpected, that's all."

"Who was that?" Ariel asked.

"Bellatrix." Damon said the word as though it were a curse.

"Damon-" she began to say as she reached hand towards him, wanting to comfort her friend, but he pulled away.

"I'm sorry." He said, turning his eyes away from her hurt face, "I need to go clear my head." The boy quickly fled the room, leaving Ariel and Lupin staring after him.

It was quiet for a moment before either spoke, "Will he be alright?" Lupin asked, looking at Ariel. The guilty expression he had worn before was back on his tired face.

Ariel nodded, "He'll be fine, it's just a sore subject for him."

Lupin sighed and sat against his desk, "Was this a bad idea for a first class? I was planning on doing the same with other students, but now I'm not so sure." He ran a hand through his thinning hair.

She walked over and stood next to him, "Are you kidding? It was a brilliant lesson! We've never had something like that done in the Dark Arts before. It's always been textbook work and theories. The other kids are going to be bouncing off the walls with excitement when they hear the new professor has a _Boggart_ waiting for them."

He smiled at her, "Was it that enjoyable?"

"Yes." She said earnestly, "Don't worry about Damon, he'll be fine."

"And what about you? Why didn't you take on the Boggart?" he said, raising an eyebrow.

Why was it that adults saw _everything?_

"I was afraid it would become Voldemort." She said honestly, looking down at her boots.

She was surprised when she heard him chuckle. Looking up, she gave him a questioning glance.

"It sounds like the thing you fear most is fear itself." Lupin said, a bit of a philosophical gleam in his grey eyes.

"Fear itself?"

Lupin gave another small laugh, "You're afraid of the Boggart , not so much the form it might take. You took into consideration what the Boggart might turn into. A Boggart represents our greatest fears, and for you, that may for Voldemort, for someone else, a dead loved one, a spider."

Ariel was quiet for a minute, "What do you think Voldemort's Boggart is?"

The professor gave her a long look, as if he was seeing her for the first time, "I doubt anyone could answer that, more so myself, Ariel."

She nodded, turning a little red, "That was a stupid question. I'm sorry, sir."

"There's no such thing as a stupid question." Lupin said gently, squeezing her shoulder, "Like I said last night, it's natural for you to be curious."

Well, maybe he wasn't like other adults, he actually gave her honest answers.

"Sir, I just have one more question." Ariel said as Lupin made his way around his desk, sitting in a swivel chair identical to the one in his office.

"Fire away."

"How much do you know about wild dogs?"

He leaned forward, "Dogs?"

"Yes." She nodded, "Before, when you saw Damon and I panting, we weren't exhausted from chasing Godric. There was this huge black dog that came out of the forest and started chasing _us_."

The professor had gone a shade paler than his usual shade, "How big was it?"

"Huge, although I couldn't give you a good guess. He wasn't close enough."

Lupin suddenly looked very nervous as he stood up, "Ariel, I'm sorry, but I have another class to prepare for. As for the dog, should you see it again, come straight to me."

A bit taken aback by the abruptness, she couldn't help feeling a bit offended. Was he writing her off?

"Of course, sir. I have to get going anyway, I have Arithmancy."

He nodded quickly and disappeared into the small back room behind his desk as Ariel left, feeling thoroughly confused.

As she walked down the corridor to her next class by herself, a flash of black caught her eye from out of a nearby window. Glancing outside, she nearly dropped her books.

The black dog from earlier was sitting tamely outside, his yellow eyes locking onto hers. She heard him begin to whine loudly and she hesitated. Was the animal trying to get her attention? Warn her?

He was bouncing up and down now, barking madly. Lupin had just warned her to let him know if she'd seen the animal again, but then again, he'd failed to give her a reason as to _why-_

She found herself descending the steps outside, rushing quickly to the place she had seen him. The large beast came bounding towards her. It stopped short when Ariel raised her wand protectively.

"If you take another step near me, I'll use it." Ariel threatened.

He whined, pawing at the ground and lowered its head. She gaped, _could it understand her?_

"Can you hear me?" she whispered and the dog bobbed its head up and down.

Whining loudly again, the dog took another step towards her.

Ariel took a step forward, "What are you?" she demanded, "Why are you stalking me? You nearly scared me and my friend before, acting as if you were going to rip my head off."

Barking quickly, he began running off in the direction of the forest, stopping to make sure Ariel understood.

"You- you want me to follow you in _there?_" she asked, and the beast gave her an affirmative nod.

She was losing it; a dog wanted her to run away with him into the Forbidden Forest.

"Do you know how much trouble I'll be in if I go in there? There's some maniac on the loose, McGonagall and Snape would kill me." she crossed her arms and glared at the dog.

He suddenly leaped forward and began nudging Ariel from behind, pushing her forward forcefully.

"Hey!" she protested, trying to move out of the way, "Stop it, you're going to get me in trouble. If my Dad finds out, he's going to-"

The dog snarled at the word '_dad'_ and began pushing Ariel even harder.

"Alright, _alright."_ She hissed, "I'll come willingly, just let me make sure no one will see me first."

Harry had given her the Invisibility Cloak to hold on to for the day. They'd made a deal that they'd alternate who had it during term; it was always useful. Especially when needing it to follow large animals into a forest with a murderer on the loose.

She quickly grabbed the cloak from her bag, wrapping it around her tightly. The black dog seemed to be- _smiling?- _and gave an approving bark.

They took off, reaching the entrance to the woods fairly quickly. He kept trotting along once they were enveloped by the trees, and Ariel stopped.

"This is far enough." She stated, and the dog began whining again.

She crossed her arms in front of her, "No way, dog. I'm not trying to get eaten by some monster on the first day of term."

The dog huffed in annoyance and quickly disappeared behind a nearby tree.

"Hey, wait! Where are you-"

There was a small popping sound, and then the crunching of leaves.

"Where'd you go?" Ariel called out, feeling a bit of panic setting in.

The sound of footsteps was getting closer, and they didn't sound like dogs.

"Hello?"

And then, from behind the tree where the black beast had disappeared, came none other than Sirius Black.


	22. Chapter 22

Harry watched closely as Ariel cried out in protest a few moments after approaching Snape's desk. The potions professor certainly did not look happy. Actually, he looked furious. He wondered what had placed him in such a foul mood this morning. It was only the first day of term, and they were his very first class. Was Snape disgusted with what the second years were giving him _already?_

At least Snape had been decent towards him. Snape hadn't called on him once all class, despite the fact that he said he had a _"reputation to uphold."_ Neville seemed to be taking the brunt of all of Snape's comments, as the young Gryffindor had already melted two cauldrons. Hermione had done her best to whisper the instructions to him, but Neville seemed to be too nervous to do anything right.

Harry pulled up his robe sleeves in preparation to remove the mandrake root from the potion when Ariel suddenly flew from the room. With Damon close behind, she slammed the door behind her with a loud _bang_. Snape was glaring blankly at her retreating figure as the class stiffened, waiting for the professor's wrath.

They were right to be wary. Snape stood up abruptly and made his way over to the student's cauldrons again, his black robes billowing dramatically. He seemed to be contemplating who his next victim would be, finally setting his tunnel-like eyes on Neville.

"Longbottom." The potions master began silkily, "What color should your potion be by now?"

The poor boy was shaking so hard that he hit his hand on the desk, "B-b-b-blue s-s-sir."

"And what color is it at the moment?" Snape asked.

"B-b-brown, b-b-but s-s-sir-"

Snape shot him such a vicious look that it caused Neville to take a step back.

"Mr. Longbottom, how many times has Ms. Granger whispered to you to add the frog legs before the bat liver?"

The Gryffindor hung his head as Hermione turned a bright shade of red, not daring to look the man in the eyes, "T-t-three times, sir."

"And how many times how you failed to do so correctly?"

"T-t-three, sir."

"And just _how many_ items of school property have you damaged within the first hour of potions?"

"T-t-two c-c-cauldrons, sir." Neville looked as if he was on the brink of tears.

Snape grinned evilly and Harry's blood began to boil, "I think thirty points from Gryffindor will suffice, as well as two weeks' worth of detention."

"That's not fair." Harry called flatly, his hands turning into fists under the table. Hermione groaned next to him as Ron shot him a panicked look.

Snape was leaning in front of him before he could blink, "What's that, Potter? You'd like to join Longbottom in detention?"

Harry glared at the man as he bit his tongue to keep from answering.

"That's what I thought, Potter." Snape snarled, "Do yourself a favor a keep your mouth shut, or I promise you that your punishment will make Longbottom's look like a play date."

Reputation or not, Harry still felt like hexing the hooked-nose man as he briskly walked away and began to harass Dean Thomas' table.

It was as silent as a grave as the second years handed in their potions at the end of class. Luckily, Harry, Hermione, and Ron had managed to brew the potion correctly, feeling a bit of relief wash over him as Snape nodded when Hermione handed theirs in. The class silently stampeded out one by one, knowing not to dawdle unless they wanted to share in Neville's detention.

Yet, Harry stood by his table, arms crossed as Hermione and Ron gave him a questioning look. He motioned for them to leave as they hesitated, finally running out when they caught the look on Snape's face. It was quiet until the last student left, leaving the boy and the man alone.

"What is it, Potter?" Snape's voice cut through the quiet as he scribbled something harshly onto a piece of parchment.

Harry continued to glare until Snape met his gaze.

The professor raised an eyebrow, "Were you hoping to share a detention with Longbottom?"

Green eyes burned into onyx, and Snape finally stood up, "Potter, I'm not going to ask again. Why are you still in my classroom?"

"Why are _you_ being such a git?" the words flew out of his mouth before he could stop himself.

After spending the summer with his sister and Snape, he'd almost forgotten how nasty Snape could turn when provoked.

The man was staring daggers at the boy now, "_What _did you just say, Potter?"

Harry swallowed loudly and decided to rephrase his sentence, "Why did you pick on Neville like that after Ariel left? It's not his fault-"

"I don't have to justify my discipline to _you_." Snape spat, taking his seat again, "And you just cost Gryffindor another ten points with that comment."

Harry ignored the last part, "Why did Ariel come in here?"

"That's none of your concern."

"She's _my_ sister."

"Irrelevant at the moment."

"What did she say?"

"That's another five points."

"Is she alright?"

"_She's fine_-"

"Did something happen?"

"_No_-"

"Then why won't you answer my question?"

"And _another _five points-"

"_You promised." _Harry suddenly yelled, and Snape finally seemed to be taken off guard.

"What in Merlin's name are you talking about, Potter?" he said sharply.

"You promised that you wouldn't treat me like I wasn't some waste of space anymore. Ariel's my sister and I have a right to know why she left this classroom upset!" said Harry.

Snape opened his mouth to argue but clamped it shut. He pinched the bridge between his nose tightly and squeezed his eyes closed.

Harry leaned against the table and counted to ten slowly in his head, trying to calm himself down.

"She wanted to sit in on the class." Snape finally said, the words coming out very forced, "And I gave her and Mr. Malfoy detention for interrupting."

Harry hadn't been expecting an answer from Snape after the comment about him being a git.

"Shouldn't you have been happy she wanted to sit in on your class?" Harry asked after another long moment of silence, "I mean, I doubt think she was planning on being a distraction or anything. She loves potions."

"If I wanted your opinion, I would have asked, Potter." Snape snapped.

"Are we back to Potter already?" Harry asked, mirroring Snape's glare, "You promised-"

"I have an image to uphold-"

"I don't see anyone else in the room, do you?"

Snape's fingers tightened around his nose, "Pot- _Harry_, if you don't leave this room within the next millisecond, you're going to find yourself in a very dangerous situation."

Harry rolled his eyes, "Fine, professor. I'll go, but only if you promise me something."

"Get out, _Harry." _

"Can you at least _try _not to send Neville spiraling into a meltdown? He really does try-"

The look on the potion master's face was murderous, and Harry realized he had pushed the man too far. He guessed that the only reason he wasn't potion ingredients already was because Ariel would do worse to Snape.

Harry sighed loudly, hoping that would make the man feel a bit guilty, and walked as slowly as he could out of the room.

"Have a good day, Prof-"

The door slammed shut so loudly behind him that he jumped a few feet into the air, but gave a small smile. He didn't know why, but he didn't find himself as scared by the greasy bat as he was last year. Maybe spending an entire summer with the man had softened him a bit. I mean, there had certainly been _something _when Harry had finally snapped that one day.

Feeling quite good about himself, Harry hurriedly made his way to the Great Hall, where he was sure Hermione and Ron would be waiting for him. His hair hung loosely around his face and he figured he'd have to ask Ariel or Hermione to give him a bit of a trim later. No matter how much he cut it, it always seemed to grow back thicker and more untamable than before. Of course, he knew know that was his magic's doing, but he wondered why he couldn't control that aspect of his powers.

"Oi, Potter!" a voice drawled from behind him suddenly, and he turned around to see none other than Draco Malfoy making his way towards him, Crabbe and Goyle on his flanks.

Harry contemplated ignoring him, but decided he'd be stuck taking to Draco even longer. Besides, Crabbe and Goyle were much larger than he was, and would probably chase him down anyway.

"What do you want Malfoy?" Harry turned slowly and tried not laugh at the smug look on the blond boy's face.

"We heard that you stayed after class even though Snape threatened to take off more points." Draco smirked, "What, were you defending your boyfriend, _Longbottom_?"

Crabbe and Goyle must have thought that was pure comic gold, because they burst into a fit of laughter.

Harry rolled his eyes and began to walk away, but apparently Malfoy still had more to say.

"Hey, _Potty_!" he called out mockingly, "I'm not done! Unless you're going to find your boyfriend, I wouldn't want to keep you from _that_."

Crabbe and Goyle were on the floor as Harry felt his ears turning red. _He's an idiot, just ignore them-_

"My father was right." Malfoy was saying now, "I sure do hope Snape gave you a thrashing for that day in Diagon Alley. Tell me, Potter, who got it worse? You, or your bitch of a sister?"

Harry's wand was in Malfoy's face before Crabbe and Goyle could jump back to their feet.

"_Don't. Say. A word. About. My. Sister." _

"Get your hands off of 'em." Goyle growled dangerously as he struggled to get up, reaching a large, meaty hand towards Harry.

"Alright, _alright." _Draco snapped, a hint of panic in his eyes, "Let go of me, Potter, or my father will hear about this-"

"_Draco."_ a voice barked, and Harry was relieved to see Damon standing at the end of the corridor.

Harry let go of Malfoy at once, but still kept his wand trained on him. Damon resembled a bull charging as he strided down the hallway towards his cousin.

"It wasn't our fault!" Malfoy rushed to his feet, backing away from Damon, "Potter came out of nowhere and just-"

"You're so full of it." Damon yelled, grabbing Malfoy's collar, "I heard what you were saying about him and Ariel!"

"Let me go Damon, or I'll tell father-" Draco threatened, thrashing wildly to get out of the older boy's grasp.

"Tell him what? That Potter threatened three Slytherins and got away with it?" Damon laughed coldly.

"I'll tell him you defended him!" Draco cried.

Damon snorted, "You think I care? He already knows where I stand when it comes to Harry-"

Malfoy was sputtering now, as Damon towered over him. Even though he was only a year older, he was quite tall for his age.

"Y-you don't care about Potter. You're only defending him because you fancy his sister-"

Damon was giving Malfoy a look that would put Snape to shame as he shoved the boy away from him.

"I do _not _fancy Ariel." He hissed, grabbing the wand in his back pocket.

"Do to!" Malfoy yelled, "Everyone knows it. A _Slytherin _likes a _Gryffindor. _No wonder father's so ashamed of you, fancying scum like that!"

"I do _not _fancy her!"

"Yes you do!" Draco sneered, "I see the way you follow her around, looking like a lost puppy. Don't you realize how ridiculous you look?"

The third year was turning a fantastic shade of red when Harry finally intervened, feeling a bit uncomfortable. He'd known that Damon cared about Ariel, but did he really _fancy _her?

"It's not worth it, Damon." He said quickly, "Just let him go."

"You were just about to hex him a minute ago, too." Damon raised his wand as the three Slytherins cowered.

"Do you really want another detention with Snape? He's already in a horrid mood-"

Harry's speech broke off as a familiar burning sensation exploded through his head. A searing pain was shooting through his scar; for a moment, he remembered how Quirrell-Voldemort had touched it the night he and Ariel went after the Stone, but this was much worse. He was shrieking in agony as thought he heard the sound of footsteps running away and Damon yelling his name. His knees buckled underneath him and he fell to the cool floor, writhing in agony.

His vision, to his horror, began to change. One minute he was looking at the floor of the school as it slowly faded to black, the next being different shades of green. The pain in his forehead was still unbearable.

"Damon!" he croaked out as the spinning slowed. He realized that he was looking at the Forbidden Forest.

Harry closed his eyes tightly and counted backwards from ten, hoping that he wake up from this nightmare. He silently groaned to himself; he had passed out in front of Malfoy. There was no doubt he'd never hear the end of this one.

"_Stay back_." He heard Ariel's voice cry shakily, and Harry struggled to lift himself up. _Great_, his nightmare was about his sister, as if he didn't have enough of those already. He quickly shoved himself to his feet and took in his dream's surroundings.

He nearly fell down again when he saw Sirius Black standing no more than ten feet away from his sister.

_Come on, wake up, wake up. _He pinched himself as hard as he could, but didn't feel himself being pulled out of the scene in front of him.

When had he ever been able to think in his dreams? Harry suddenly felt himself go a bit cold. Was this even a dream? How was he aware?

The prisoner of Azkaban was shaking slightly, his fingers reaching towards his sister as if there was some kind of gravitational force pulling him towards her. Ariel was poised like a snake, ready to strike any moment, although Harry could tell she was shaking badly.

"Just let me explain." The man said pleaded softly, leaning towards Ariel.

"Stay away from me." She yelled again, this time with more force, "I _will _kill you."

The man stopped where he stood, his clothes hanging over his bony body.

_Was he even alive_? Black resembled a skeleton, paler than Snape was, his eyes sunken into his head, and his long hair looking more like mange.

"Please." Black held up his hands, "I'm not here to harm you; I'm here to take you away-"

"Take me _away?_" Ariel's voice was shaking in terror, "What? You don't want to do it here? You'd rather kill me on your turf? Bring me to the free Death Eaters?"

"No!" Black yelled, and Ariel jumped, her grip tightening on her wand, "I'm here to rescue you and Harry." The man suddenly took a couple of steps forward as Ariel stumbled away, "Harry- where is he? Is he alright? He's here at Hogwarts, isn't he?"

"_Stop_." Ariel yelled back, "Don't talk about my brother. You're not going to touch him-"

"Have you not heard what I just said?" Black softened his voice, his sunken eyes glittering, "I said I'm here to rescue you, I'm not going to hurt you. Just tell me where Harry is and-"

"_RESCUE ME_?" Ariel screamed at him, "_YOU KILLED MY PARENTS."_

Black flinched violently at the last statement, and Harry began to hit himself in the face to try to wake himself up. This wasn't a dream, this was really happening. _Black was going to kidnap Ariel_.

"I didn't!" Black cried, "It wasn't me, I wasn't their Keeper!" There were tears forming in his eyes now.

"_LIAR." _Ariel shrieked back, "_My father told me everything! You-"_

The hurt expression the man had been wearing was gone now, replaced with a look of pure hatred. "Severus Snape is not your father!" Black bellowed, "James was, Snape only adopted you in order to get back at him-"

"You're a liar!" Ariel was still yelling, "Dumbledore asked him, he knew he would keep me safe-"

"He turned you against him, against me-"

"He never mentioned my Dad; he's never spoken a word against him in all my life."

Black looked stunned, "Ariel, he-"

"Shut up!" Ariel screamed, tears pouring down her face now, "How dare you speak of my father! _You killed him! You betrayed him for Voldemort_! _YOU'RE THE REASON THEY'RE DEAD._"

"I did kill him." Black admitted, choking back a sob, "But I didn't tell You-Know-Who where they were, I wasn't there Keeper. James chose someone else-"

"What are you talking about?" Ariel looked a bit taken aback at this and lowered her voice and wand.

"It wasn't me, I swear on my life, Ariel. It was Peter Pettigrew. He- he chopped off his finger and turned into a rat-"

Ariel's eyes were as big as bowls, and the wand was back up, "Do you know how bloody insane that sounds? Do you think I'm _that _daft?"

"Ariel, _please." _Black was crying again, "Your parents and I decided it would be too obvious if I was made your Secret Keeper. They made Pettigrew it instead, no one would have guessed it was him, barely anyone knew who he was-"

"And so what? This Pettigrew guy was really a Death Eater?" Ariel snapped, although she lowered her wand a second time.

"Yes." Black took another step forward, "Please Ariel, I loved your family more than anything in this world, your father was closer than a brother to me. He made me Harry's godfather, for Merlin's sake! I would have laid down my life before thinking of betraying them!"

Ariel had completely lowered her wand at this point, and Harry began to see black spots, his mind racing.

Ariel believed Black; he could see it in her face. He needed to get to her before he took her.

"_So why didn't you tell anyone the truth?" _Harry heard Ariel ask as the scene faded away. He didn't hear Black's response. Instead, he heard someone frantically calling his name.

"_Harry._" Damon was shaking the boy as he came to, "_Merlin, Harry wake up_."

Harry threw himself off the floor and Damon let out a startled cry as he fell back.

"Harry!" he choked, grabbing the boy's arm, "Harry, what-"

The boy was already at the end of the corridor, adrenaline pumping through his aching body, "_GO GET SNAPE, BLACK HAS ARIEL IN THE FOREST_!" he yelled behind him, taking off at a full speed towards the Forbidden Forest.

Mind racing, he ignored the dull throbbing in his chest and forehead as his feet carried him to the spot where he had seen Black and Ariel. He almost felt as if he were on autopilot; he had no idea where he was going, but his body seemed to.

As he broke into the clearing, he heard Ariel's voice in the distance.

"_And so, what? You just let them put you away? What about Harry?"_

Taking off to the right, he nearly fell on his face as he tripped over a stray log. He quickly scrambled back up only to have his stomach drop to his feet.

Black was standing right on top of him.

He stumbled away and grabbed his wand from his robe pocket as Ariel let out a startled cry, "_Harry, what are you-"_

"I-I saw you." He stammered, not taking his eyes off Black, who looked as if he was on the brink of collapse, "I saw you- Black trying to take you- and I came to help."

It was quiet, escape for the sounds of birds chirping and the trees in the breeze for a long moment.

"Harry." Ariel said softly, reaching a hand towards him. He grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the skeleton in front of them, backing them into a large fir tree.

He was gripping her far more tightly than she was, and she slowly pried his hands off her arm.

"_Harry James Potter_." Black whispered, "Merlin, you look just like your father."

"Don't talk about my Dad." Harry spat, "You don't deserve to, you traitor!"

"He didn't betray them." He heard Ariel say quietly, and he turned to look at her. She was looking at Black intently, as if seeing him for the first time.

"You can't believe his story!" Harry yelled, "You're smarter than that! He's manipulating you!"

"I don't think he's lying, Harry!" she yelled back, and he took a step backwards in surprise, "His story… it makes sense-"

"_Sense? _You think this Pettigrew guy betrayed Mum and Dad and then blew himself up so that he would get blamed?" Harry motioned to the man in front of them with his head.

"He didn't die, Harry, he turned into a rat and got away!"

"People can't turn into animals-"

"Yes they can!" Ariel said quickly, "They're called Animagi, Sirius is one too."

He blinked at the sound of the man's first name, and turned back to Black, "You- you can turn into a rat too?"

Black shook his head, "No, a dog."

Harry's eyes snapped back to Ariel, "You saw him turn into a dog?"

"Well- not exactly. I saw him turn from a dog into a human."

"You're father was one, too." Black interjected, "He was a stag."

Harry ignored Black and continued staring at Ariel, "He wanted to kidnap you. You can't seriously trust him."

That seemed to catch her attention. Ariel slowly raised her wand again and put an arm out protectively in front of Harry, "What did you mean earlier when you said you wanted to '_rescue me?' _Why wouldn't I be safe?"

Black's eyes narrowed, "I thought that would be obvious; I'm here to take you away from Snape."

Ariel's lip curled as Harry answered, "From _Snape_? How did you even know he was her father?"

"He's not her father." Black snapped angrily.

"Yes, he is." Ariel shot back.

Ignoring the comment, Harry repeated the question, "How did you know?"

"I heard some Death Eaters talking about it one day." He hissed, flexing his fingers, "Lucius Malfoy visits Azkaban frequently with his wife since her sister got herself a life sentence, and he mentioned that he'd seen Snape getting ready to give you two a beating in Diagon Alley." Black closed his eyes tightly and gritted his teeth, and for a moment, Harry thought he was going to be sick.

Harry froze and looked up at Ariel, who looked speechless.

"Y-you risked your life to come and get us?" he whispered.

Tears were filling Black's eyes again, "Of course I did, I only wish I'd come sooner. The second I'd known Snape had you, I would have been here in the blink of an eye. I thought Dumbledore would keep you safe-" He broke off and ran his hands through his filthy hair.

"Sirius." Ariel began softly, "Snape didn't give us a beating; he had to come off harsh to us that day in order to make sure _Lucius _didn't. Snape's never laid a hand on me."

Sirius shook his head, "No, you're lying to protect him. He's brainwashed you or something; used some kind of sick spell or potion-"

"No, Sirius, please, you have to believe me. He's-" Ariel suddenly cut off, and Harry knew why. How could she explain to her father's best friend that his enemy meant just as much to her?

"She's telling the truth." Harry said, finally looking Sirius in the eye, "Snape adopted her and I went to live with my mum's family. When we were finally reunited, I saw the way Snape treated her, and it was exactly how a parent should act towards their kid."

Sirius' face resembled burning paper at Harry's statement, "_Reunited? _You mean Dumbledore separated the two of you?"

Ariel nodded as tears began to stream down her face, and Sirius Black fell to the ground.

"I should have fought." He moaned, "I should have demanded my trial, I should never have let Hagrid take you, I should have-"

Harry took a step forward and placed a soft hand on the man's shoulder.

"It's not your fault." He said quietly as Sirius continued moaning.

"But it is! If I had fought for you two, if I hadn't gone after Pettigrew, you would have been safe, together-"

"You did what you thought was right." Ariel said, "Pettigrew had betrayed your two closest friends, anyone would be angry-"

"I should have been thinking about the two of you. You were Remus and I's responsibility."

Harry couldn't help feeling his heart clench at this.

If Black was telling the truth, then that meant he could have taken Harry the second his parents were killed. Legally, he was his to take, which meant he never _had _to go live with the Dursleys. He was simply sent there because there was nowhere else for him to go. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia had told him his entire life that he wasn't wanted by his parents or anyone else, so they had taken them out of the kindness of their hearts. But if Sirius Black, the psychotic Death Eater murderer was telling the truth, that this Peter Pettigrew had actually been the one to betray his parents, that meant he had somewhere to go, someone who actually wanted him all along.

Snape had taken him in, yes, but Harry knew deep down it was only because of Ariel. Not that she wasn't enough, but all the adults in his life either seemed to detest him or put him up on a pedestal because he and his sister had defeated Voldemort as infants. He could tell Snape was trying, but he would never have what he and Ariel had. Sirius had risked his life to come and get the two of them the second he thought they, _he, _might be in danger.

What would it have been like, if Sirius had raised him?

He couldn't help the tears that formed in his eyes as he realized he'd never have the childhood he so yearned for, all because the one man who actually loved him had been falsely accused of a crime he had sought to avenge.

"You're right." Harry said quietly, shoving his hands in his robe pockets, "But there's nothing you can do about it. You're here now, and that's what matters."

This seemed to bring Sirius back, "You're right, Harry." He said, standing up, his eyes now red. He quickly looked around and surveyed the forest behind him, "We need to leave now, there's no doubt someone's already looking for you."

Harry looked at Ariel, not quite knowing what to say. Snape was _her _father, not his, although the idea of running away with his godfather sounded rather tempting now.

"We can't leave, Sirius." Ariel said quietly, not meeting Sirius' eyes, "We have to stay here, where we belong."

Sirius's face grew hard at this once again, "You belong with _me_." He spat, "Not with the greasy bastard that swooped in the second he heard James was dead to exact his sick bloody revenge on-"

"It wasn't revenge!" Ariel argued, "I know that you two may hate one other, but he hasn't been cruel or hateful or mean to me, ever. He's my _father_, and I love him."

Harry could tell those words had taken a lot of effort of Ariel's part, and seemed to take an even greater toll on Sirius.

"I'm gonna kill him." The convict was muttering to himself. Harry noticed he was starting to shake rather violently as well, "I'm gonna rip him from limb to limb with my bare hands, the fucking-"

"Sirius please." Ariel begged, racing forward and grabbing his arms firmly. He seemed surprised by her touch and relaxed a bit, "He's not who you remember or what you think is he now. He never once said anything about my real dad when I was a kid! I had a good childhood with him, Dumbledore made the right decision."

Sirius was shaking his head before Ariel was finished, "No." he hissed, "You'll see when I confront him, you'll see the slimy git's true colors."

Ariel shot Harry a pleading look, "Harry, tell him! Tell him Dad hasn't hurt you or me!"

He was about to back her up when the sound of voices began echoing through the forest.

"_Harry! Ariel!"_

"_Ariel!" _

"_Where did he say they were?"_

"_He didn't, the boy apparently just-"_

"_ARIEL!"_

"_HARRY!"_

Sirius froze as his eyes glittered in recognition. One of the voices was Snape's.

"You have to go!" Ariel whispered frantically, pushing Sirius away. He stumbled but made no move to run.

"Sirius _please!" _Harry begged, "You need to go, they'll throw you back in Azkaban, or worse-"

"Run, now!" Ariel hissed. The sound of footsteps was getting closer.

"_ARIEL, HARRY!"_

"_-lays a hand on-"_

"_Be quiet, Severus, threats won't do anything now. HARRY!"_

The man finally seemed to snap out of it at Harry's plea.

"Come with me." He was looking straight at Harry as Ariel ran to survey if anyone was close enough to see, "We can run away together, just you and me. I'll keep you safe, away from all this-"

Harry turned to look at Ariel, who seemed as if she couldn't hear them.

"Sirius, I can't, you need to go-" Harry felt his throat swell at the man's broken face.

"Harry, I can't do this on my own. I broke out for you, we were meant to be together. I'm your godfather, _please_." Sirius begged.

The boy felt an "_okay" _on the tip of his tongue, but stopped himself when Ariel let out a loud yelp.

"They're coming!" she whirled around to Sirius, "We'll do everything we can to help you, but you need to go _now_."

"Please" the man asked once more, the pain on his face almost unbearable to look at.

Harry shook his head, tears streaming down his face, "I'm sorry-"

Sirius grabbed the boy into a tight hug before releasing him "I'll come back for you, I promise." He vowed. The skeleton in the prisoner uniform then turned into a large black dog with a _crack _and bolted off into the dark woods behind him.

Harry looked longingly at his godfather's retreating figure as Snape and Lupin broke into the clearing.

"Oh, thank Merlin." He heard Snape cry shakily, and turned to see the professor holding his sister close to him.

"Harry?" Lupin ran over to the shaking boy, "Harry, are you alright? Did he hurt you?"

It took him a moment to collect his thoughts to give an answer that wouldn't convince the new professor he needed to be sent to St. Mungo's, "No, sir, I'm fine."

"What happened?" Lupin demanded, "How did you get you two out here? Did he break into the castle?"

Harry shook head his numbly, "No, sir. We followed him here."

"You did _what?" _Snape yelled as he tore himself from his daughter's embrace. His face was contorted into an expression of panic and rage as Ariel took a step away from him.

Neither of the children answered as the two men shared a concerned look.

"I'm going to search the forest." Lupin said as he bent down to look at Harry in the eye, "Did you see where he went?"

Shaking his head, Lupin turned to Ariel, who mirrored her brother.

He felt himself bursting with the truth of his godfather as the two professors exchanged another knowing look. They weren't going to be able to hide what had just happened forever, not that Harry planned on it, but they needed to give Sirius enough time to get away. There was no doubt Snape was going to be less than thrilled when he heard what Sirius had to say, and Harry had the feeling that he wasn't as willing as Ariel had been to believe him.

"Ariel," Snape said slowly, his eyes still on the girl, "Where did Black go?"

There was no answer as Ariel hung her head and Harry looked away from Lupin's increasingly worried gaze.

"Please, can we just go back to the school?" Ariel asked quietly.

Snape nodded his head slowly as Lupin took off into the forest behind Harry, who silently screamed for Sirius to carry himself as far away as possible.

Ariel's silence was making his anxiety grow as each second passed by on their way back to Hogwarts.

It hadn't been six months since the Quirrell-Voldemort attack and the two children had already found themselves in mortal danger. Part of Snape wanted to throttle them, especially Ariel. She was smarter than that, _why _in Merlin's name had she followed Black into the forest? For Pot- _Harry_, it had been a bit understandable, but the girl had always insisted that her brother's safety was a priority.

He'd nearly hexed Damon when he came flying into his office, gasping for breath. After Harry's little stunt during the second year class, Snape had not been in the mood for further arguments about his discipline and punishments. His hand had been on his wand when Damon finally sputtered that Black had taken Ariel and that Harry had gone after them.

It was as if someone had cast the Cruciatus Curse on him. A terror he hadn't felt since the Dark Lord had told him Lily's children were the two the prophecy spoke of ripped through him, and he'd found himself unable to move for several moments. He must have looked rather dumb, as the dark haired Slytherin in the doorway had begun yelling at him to do something. Luckily, the werewolf had seen Damon running to the dungeons and decided to make sure the boy wasn't up to any mischief. The second Damon informed the new professor what was happening, he'd left the room immediately to rescue the two children, snapping Snape out of his panic-induced haze.

There was no way in hell Snape wasn't about to let Lupin go after them alone. He didn't trust him.

Now, Snape wanted nothing more than to join the bloody werewolf in the search for Black, but he knew his priority was Ariel. He'd have Dumbledore speak to the boy, but had a feeling he'd get as much out of Harry as he would out of his daughter. The focus for the time being was making sure she was alright.

"_Cauldron Cakes" _Snape muttered at the entrance to Dumbledore's office, quickly ushering the children ahead of him.

"Wait here." He said to them, trying to give them his kindest look. Before he had Harry talk to the Headmaster, Snape was going to make sure the old bastard got it through his thick skull that Black was what Snape had suspected from the beginning; a much bigger danger than Dumbledore believed.

Harry looked as if he concentrating very hard on something while Ariel's face looked blank as stood outside the office door. Snape quickly swished through the wooden door, not bothering to knock or say a word as he moved to the front of the Headmaster's desk.

The old man looked up, frowning upon seeing the look on the potion master's face. "Severus, is everything-" Dumbledore began.

Snape was not in the mood for the man's games.

"_He. Had. Them_." He whispered as he leaned towards him, malice coating every word.

Dumbledore arched an eyebrow, "Who?"

Snape simply gave Dumbledore his very worst glare as realization made itself present on the old wizard's face.

"When?" Dumbledore asked quietly, his very sounding very grave.

"No more than fifteen minutes ago." Snape snarled.

"Are you positive, Severus? I find it very hard to believe that he made it past the Dementors undetected. Maybe-"

Snape slammed his hand down on the desk. He usually wasn't one to show his anger physically, but the very thought of Sirius Black being remotely near his child was enough to make his blood boil, "_DO NOT INSULT MY INTELLIGENCE, ALBUS. I REFUSE TO PLAY YOUR MIND GAMES WHEN IT COMES TO THE SAFETY OF MY DAUGHTER."_

Dumbledore sighed deeply and ran his thin fingers through his beard, "How did this happen?"

"I don't know." Snape snapped, "Damon Malfoy came running into my office, yelling that Black had taken Ariel into the forest and that Harry had gone after them. I was going to have you talk to the boy."

"And you will speak to Ariel?"

"_Obviously._"

"Wouldn't it be prudent to have them speak to us at once, Severus? I'm sure they're both a bit shaken up and would rather tell us what happened with the other present-"

"I don't care about what happened right now. All I'm worried about is the welfare of Ariel."

"And what about Harry?"

Snape hesitated, "Him as well, however, I think it might be better if he spoke to you. He trusts you."

"He trusts you too, Severus." Dumbledore pointed, "But I agree, I will talk to him myself. I'm rather curious as to how this played out."

Snape felt the overwhelming urge to wrap his fingers around the Headmaster's neck at that last statement.

"Do not misunderstand me." He hissed venomously, "I want you to talk to him simply because the boy looks up to you and knows he can confide in you. However, do not think you can use this as an opportunity for another one of your little _experiments_. I swore I'd protect the two of them, and if that means from you too, then so be it."

Dumbledore blinked, "Of course not, dear boy. I was merely pointing-"

"Save it." Snape snapped, "I've kept my daughter waiting too long." He spun around and made his way to the door, pausing as he placed his hand on the doorknob. He did not turn as he spoke the last words to the old man at the desk, "If I find out you let Black near Ariel or Harry, I will ensure that you never harm either of them again."

He threw open to door, causing the two waiting children to jump in surprise.

"Pot- _Harry_, the Headmaster would like to speak with you." Snape tried to sound as gentle as possible, but his voice came out flat.

Harry nodded stiffly and slowly walked into Dumbledore's office, shutting the door softly behind him.

Snape turned to Ariel, who was wiping tears away furiously with her robe sleeve.

"I-I'm sorry." She mumbled when she noticed him staring at her, "Did Dumbledore w-want to see me too?"

"No." Snape shook his head, "Just your brother, for the moment. You're coming with me."

Ariel hesitated, "I don't want to leave him alone-"

"He'll be fine." He reassured her, "I promise you'll see him tonight."

She nodded and the pair made their way down to the dungeons in silence. Once inside his quarters, he immediately summoned tea and motioned for her to sit on the couches in front of the fire. She was still shaking, and although he knew it probably wasn't from the cold, Snape thought the warmth would be calming.

He took a seat beside her, not sure where to start.

Ariel surprised him by speaking first.

"Don't be mad at Harry, I was the one who followed Sirius into the forest." She said quietly.

Snape sighed, "I'm not angry, I'm worried."

She looked up at him, her dark eyes looking a bit startled, "Worried?"

"When are you going to get it through your thick head that whenever you put yourself in danger, you tend to send me into a full blown panic?" the words had meant to come out gently, as a light joke, but appeared harsher than intended. He cursed himself when he saw her flinch.

"I'm sorry." She whispered as she looked away from him and into the fire.

He sighed audibly and placed a hand on her arm, "Do you want to tell me what happened?"

Ariel tensed as she closed her eyes and breathed deeply for a moment. "I don't know how to say it." She finally admitted shakily, looking back at him.

_Merlin, what had they done to them?_

"Try." He whispered, "You know you can trust me."

She shook her head, "It's not that I don't trust you, Dad. I just- I can't talk about it. What Sirius said, what he told us- I need time to think."

Since when were his daughter and Black on a first name basis? What the bloody hell had he told her?

Snape got down on his knees in front of her and pulled out his wand. If she had been placed under any kind of spell, he was going to know about it. He hadn't been officially trained as a Healer, but he'd picked up several tips during his time as a Death Eater, which proved to be more than useful. Whenever Voldemort had been in less than a pleasant mood, he tended to take it out on his followers. Once he was done awarding _'punishments', _many Death Eaters had learned that Severus knew a thing or two when it came to Healing and were usually taken to him for help. He'd originally aided them, knowing that one day he might find himself in need of their assistance after Voldemort's rages, but once he had turned spy, he couldn't help but give minimal effort in helping.

Ariel stiffened and moved away from Snape's raised wand, "What are you doing?"

"I'm running a Diagnostic Spell." He explained, giving a quick wave as he looked over the child's body, "I need to make sure that you're not under any kind of spell or charm."

"I'm not under anything, Sirius didn't even have a wand." She protested, but allowed him to perform the spell.

Looking over her body, he found nothing wrong. No spell had been cast, no hexes, and no charms. She was perfectly fine. This troubled Snape even further as he stood up, frowning, "The results confirm that you've had nothing casted on you."

"I told you." She replied, crossing her arms.

He arched an eyebrow, "So why did you follow Black into the forest?"

"I-I didn't do it intentionally. He knew I wouldn't go voluntarily, so he kinda tricked me."

"_Tricked you_?"

She shook her head, "Not tricked- he got me to follow in a way that wouldn't let the Dementors see."

"So- _tricked." _Snape's blood was beginning to boil.

Ariel sighed, "Dad, he just wanted to talk. He's not what everyone thinks he is."

Snape was trying very hard to maintain his composure at this point. Ariel was not simple; how could she have believed Black so quickly? He had to have done something to them, something that wouldn't have shown up on the Diagnostic Spell.

Hadn't he had enough of Black? The Marauders had done their damage to him in school, why were they back? It was as if the cosmos wanted to watch him suffer. He wasn't going to have it; he had a child to look out for. Snape wasn't going to let their insanity and sadist morals around his daughter. Black had always been a good liar, and it appeared he was still getting outstanding marks in that category. Whatever he'd said, Ariel believed him, which also meant Harry probably did as well. Black wasn't going to get anywhere near them again.

"What did he say, Ariel?" he demanded.

"I can't tell you." She looked away from him again.

"_What did he say_?" Snape repeated, gritting his teeth.

"Dad, I don't want to-"

"_WHAT DID HE SAY?" _Snape finally exploded, grabbing the girl's arm as she cried out in surprise.

He felt his heart pang painfully inside his chest when Ariel burst in tears, burying her face in her hands.

"He-he said he was innocent." She sobbed before Snape could apologize and reassure her that his anger lied with Black and not her, "Some guy, Pettigrew, was the one that got Mum and Dad killed."

Snape froze, "_Peter Pettigrew?"_

She nodded into her hands, and let out a deep sob. The past few days' events were clearly starting to take an emotional toll, which worried Snape even more. He'd pushed her too far, _again_.

Forgetting about Pettigrew for the moment, he hesitantly reached an arm around her, pulling her tightly to him when she didn't attempt to move away or stiffen.

"I'm sorry." He whispered into her curls, "I'm not upset with you. I'm-I'm horrified he got so close to hurting you."

"He wasn't going to hurt me." He heard her mumble back, "He was trying to protect Harry and I."

"No, child." Snape tried to sound as gentle and kind as he could muster, "Black is trying to lure you away, he _wants _you to think he cares so he can strike when you're most vulnerable."

"Dad, he's _afraid _for us. Lucius Malfoy was visiting Bellatrix and he told her about the day in Diagon Alley. Sirius broke out to rescue us from _you." _She heaved herself from the couch and stood in front of her father, her fists clenched tightly.

Snape began to trembled, but not out of fear. No, this was anger, the purest, most violent kind of anger he'd ever experienced before. _Sirius Black_, the man who had killed Lily, and attempted to aid in murdering two infants, was attempting to turn his daughter and Potter against him on the thought that he _abused them. _

"You know that's not true." He whispered, his voice shaking.

Ariel softened her expression, "Of course I do. I argued on your behalf, but that's not the point. He broke out to rescue us, because he cares. He's not the one who betrayed my parents, he didn't murder anyone. He's innocent, Dad."

Snape was shaking his head before she was done speaking. He stood up and placed his hands on her shoulders tightly, "Ariel, child, he's _lying_."

"He's not, Dad, _please_, believe him, for _me_." She pleaded.

He couldn't believe she had pulled that card as he hardened his expression, staring at the teary eyed in front of him, "It's for you I'm doing this. He's manipulating you-"

"He's not!" Ariel yelled, taking several steps away, "This is why I wasn't going to tell you! I knew you wouldn't believe me."

"It's not that I don't believe you." He said, becoming more concerned with every stride Ariel took away from him, "I don't believe _him_."

"Why not?" she asked loudly, "Because of your stupid boyhood grudge? You can't see the possibility of Sirius being innocent because of something that happened when you were _kids_?"

Snape froze at this and swallowed the reply he so desperately wanted to throw back at her. He wasn't used to anyone using that against him, especially Ariel.

"I can't see the possibility because it doesn't exist, nor does it make sense." He said quietly, "Peter Pettigrew is dead; all they found of him was a finger, Ariel. Black never demanded a trial and never claimed he was innocent. He admitted to killing your parents, and took his sentence in Azkaban."

"No." she choked out, "I'm going to prove it. I'm going to find out what really happened. You'll see. And if not for Sirius, than for Harry. He deserves to have someone who cares about him for once."

He simply stared at her as she shook as the fire roared and popped. They stood in silence for several minutes as he raked his mind for a response, but he had none. The passion in which she spoke with was unmistakable, and the sting of betrayal ripped through his chest. She truly believed Black. A man who all she'd known of was that he was a psychotic murderer had gained her trust over the man who had raised her since she was two.

Snape finally opened his mouth to speak, but stopped when Ariel stomped over to her room, slamming the door behind her so forcefully that it caused Snape to wince. He heard her shout _"Alohomora" _and the door locked with a _click._

Merlin, he needed a fire whiskey. Accio'ing a glass from the kitchen, he walked over to his desk to grab the bottle he kept in his drawer when a voice floated over from the fireplace.

"Severus?" Dumbledore's voice called.

Snape sighed deeply, slamming the glass down on the desk, "What is it, Albus?"

"I'm afraid I must ask you to come up to my office. I have a troubling matter that demands both of our attention." The headmaster said gravely.

"Fine. I'll be there shortly." He called sharply.

Of course there was more troubling news, there always was.


	23. Chapter 23

Snape emerged from the green flames to find Dumbledore looking rather thoughtful at his desk, although he could tell something was troubling him.

"What is it, Albus?" Snape called impatiently from across the room. The fire whiskey in his office was looking very appealing and he did not want to linger any longer than needed.

The Headmaster's eyes rested on Snape as he leaned forward in his chair, "Did you speak to Ariel?"

Snape nodded curtly in response.

"I presume, then, that she told you that Sirius Black in fact, innocent, and that Peter Pettigrew is the one to blame?" the old man asked.

Another nod in Dumbledore's direction.

"Harry has told me the same thing." Dumbledore continued quietly, "He also mentioned that Black escaped to save them- from you."

Snape simply glowered at the him until Dumbledore sighed and gave the black haired man a poignant look, "Severus, I understand that this must be difficult for you, but if Black _is _innocent-"

"He's not." Snape said sharply, his voice cracking through the air like a whip. He quickly strided over to the chair in front of the headmaster's desk and took a seat, "He was their Keeper, he's the only one who could have told the Dark Lord. They wouldn't have given such a responsibility to Pettigrew. You told me yourself Black admitted it!"

Dumbledore nodded slowly, "He did- but I always believed- _now Severus_-" The man stopped when Snape shot him a murderous glare.

"You believed him _innocent_, even after he _admitted to treason?"_ Snape hissed, gripping his kneecaps tightly.

"He and James were closer than brothers; I found it very hard to believe-"

"_What point of 'he admitted it' isn't good enough for you?"_

"Severus-"

"I will not let my child or Harry be manipulated by him!" Snape yelled, spit flying from his mouth, "Do you not recall what he did during my time as a student? Or has your brilliant mind allowed that little detail to slip?"

The headmaster gave him an empathic look, "What Black did was cruel, but I assure you, I never believed he was capable of murdering his two closest friends. He loved Harry and-"

"_Cruel?" _Snape jumped up, "Albus, he was going to let the bloody werewolf take a bite out of me! If Potter-" He stopped himself, quickly taking a seat after realizing what he'd almost said. The day's events must have taken some kind of mental toll on him.

"I know you still harbor resentment towards what they did to you." Dumbledore said gently, "Your anger is more than justifiable. However, Black was always loyal to those he loved, James and Lily being-"

"Don't." he whispered and Dumbledore raised an eyebrow.

"Severus, I understand this is hard to come to terms with, but you must listen to reason-"

"I didn't mean your outrageous defense of Black." Snape said through gritted teeth, "I was- don't say _her _name."

Dumbledore looked stunned, "You- you mean Lily?"

Snape flinched and Dumbledore looked at a loss for words.

"I'm sorry." The old wizard whispered, "I had no idea you still-"

"Why wouldn't I?" Snape snarled, "Do you think me heartless?"

"Of course not, I just- after all these years-"

Shooting the man another vicious glare, Snape threw himself out of the seat and leaned against the bookcase to the desk's right, turning away from Dumbledore, "Did I not swear to protect them for her?"

"You did." Dumbledore agreed softly, "But after all this time, I thought you would have at least overcome _some _of that guilt."

A black hole made itself present inside of Snape's chest as he squeezed his eyes shut, "Please, Albus- no more. I can't talk about this. It's-it is too painful." He'd meant for the words to come out as an order, but instead, he heard himself pleading.

"Of course, Severus, I apologize." Dumbledore said quietly.

The two men stood in the silence for a long moment.

"So what do you propose we do when it comes to Black, Albus?" Snape finally said, turning to face the bearded man.

The elder was giving Snape an unfathomable look before clearing his throat loudly, "I'm going to do a bit of digging around and see if I can find anything that may help Sirius' case. In the meantime, I suppose we should just let things '_play out'_, if you will. There's no doubt both children are utterly convinced he's innocent."

The color was draining from Snape's face as marched back to the desk, "Albus, this is ridiculous. We can't entertain this fantasy. Black is obviously waiting for the opportune moment. I _will not _let Ariel get hurt, not after what happened last year."

"That's my final word on the matter, Severus." Dumbledore said firmly, but gently, knowing not to push the potions master.

Snape was gritting his teeth again, "And what if Black is really trying to do them both harm? What then, Albus?"

"I will not let that happen." Dumbledore said.

"You let it happen today." Snape snapped back.

"I did nothing of the sort, Severus. Ariel was not where she should have been today and let her guard down." replied Dumbledore.

"Did the boy say how Black did it?" Snape demanded, "Did he say as to how Black got past the Dementors? How did he lure them away?"

Dumbledore shook his head, "He did not say. However, how Harry found Black and Ariel in the forest is why I called you here."

Snape's eyes narrowed, "What do you mean? I thought Harry saw Ariel go into the forest and followed her?"

"That's what I believed." The headmaster said, "But when I talked to Harry, he told me something that I found sounded a bit familiar."

The old wizard was giving Snape a knowing look as Snape blinked blankly. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Albus." Snape said, exasperated, as he sank into the chair once more, "What happened?"

Dumbledore clasped his hands tightly in front of him, "Harry told me his scar began hurting, causing him to faint, and found himself in a dream-like state, where he watched Ariel confront Black in the forest. After he woke up, he realized it hadn't been a dream, and took off to aid his sister."

Snape blinked. The old coot was right, this did sound familiar.

He couldn't help gasping as the realization hit him, "Harry- he's having these visions?"

The old man nodded, "Indeed. What he described sounded exactly like what Ariel told us her first year. I explained to him that he should not go and try to activate this connection at any time, just like Ariel, as it would put them both in danger."

"I thought you said he wasn't to know about them?" Snape asked, a bit confused, "You told Ariel it was imperative Harry not know."

"Until it was _time." _Dumbledore clarified, "However, this wasn't when I had planned on telling him, but I would never lie to him. There was no doubt Ariel would have asked how he found her. It seems that whenever the other is in danger, it triggers this connection, thus resulting in these visions."

"So," Snape began slowly, "Then he knows Ariel's had these visions as well."

The headmaster leaned back and sighed deeply, "No. I did not tell him that. I simply told him that his visions were due to the connection between him and his sister through their scars. I did not reveal any previous visions Ariel had."

"Is it wise to keep that hidden, Albus? He's sure to figure it out eventually." Snape crossed him arms, "How do you know Ariel won't tell him?"

"Ariel knows it's important he stays as ignorant as possible, although I don't doubt that they're probably discussing it now-"

"_Ignorant?_ If he knows he and his sister have this link, how does that make him ignorant? I'm sure the boy is wondering at this moment if he's had visions before, or if Ariel has!" Snape argued.

"The less he knows, the better, Severus. The both of them."

"So you want my daughter to _lie _to him?" Snape yelled, "You want her to walk around with that guilt? She's got enough to worry about with Black; I won't have her carrying around another burden. Do you hear me, old man? _I won't."_

Dumbledore stood up and walked to the front of his desk, leaning against it, "So what do you propose then?"

Snape stared at him incredulously, "What do _I _propose? You're the one who knows about these dreams and wants to keep them hidden. _You're_ responsible for explaining this."

"You think I should talk to the boy?" Dumbledore asked.

Snape hesitated. Albus had a habit of only giving bits and pieces, if any, when faced with a problem. Although he couldn't do that now, Snape decided. If Harry knew about the visions and Dumbledore had confirmed it, what else could he hide from him? It wasn't likely that Ariel would keep her information to herself for long once Harry told her Dumbledore had told him he'd had a apparition.

"No," Snape said finally, "I will, if need be. I'll be sure to tell the boy if he has any questions regarding this _bond_, I will do my best to assist him."

Dumbledore nodded, "Nothing more, Severus. Harry cannot know anymore than that."

"What about the abuse?" Snape asked lowly, wondering why Albus hadn't brought this little snag up already, "Ariel knows, what if she says something to him?"

"Then she tells him." He replied calmly.

Snape's blood was starting to boil, "So, let us clarify our discussion. You believe Sirius Black to be innocent, that my daughter and her brother should be allowed to contact or receive messages from said convict, and that Harry should let his sister, who understands these visions about as well as he does, explain that she's witnessed his abuse through this psychic connection as well."

He couldn't believe that the old bastard would agree to such things after they were said aloud, but apparently, Albus Dumbledore was still full of revelations.

"Precisely."

That was too much for Snape. He reminded himself that Dumbledore would completely flatten him in a duel as he forced himself to floo back to his quarters. He was nearly shaking with rage at the man's incompetence. Did he have an empathetic bone in his body? Snape himself was cold hearted, but _this- _this was downright- was there even a word?

Black wasn't going to get anywhere near Ariel. Or Harry. Ever. He would see to that if it was the last thing he bloody did.

If Dumbledore was right about anything, it was that Ariel was probably discussing that day's events with Harry. Her bedroom door was wide open and the girl was gone.

Merlin did that fire whiskey look wonderful.

Ariel heard the floo roar to life as she pressed her ear up against the door. She could have sworn that she'd heard Dumbledore call on her father. Waiting several seconds, she finally creaked open the door to find Snape gone, although there was a rather large bottle of fire whiskey sitting on his desk.

She wasn't sure if Harry was still with the headmaster or not, but either way, she needed to talk to Damon. Harry would be telling Ron and Hermione, no doubt, as soon as Dumbledore was finished speaking with him. For the time being, however, she needed her best friend.

Actually, there were several people she was dying to speak to. _Harry. Damon. Lupin_.

Her head was swimming. Hours ago, she had been on her way to Hogwarts to hopefully start a normal school year. Now, she found herself with a godfather, a plan to clear the murderer Sirius Black's name, a man by the name of Peter Pettigrew to blame for her parent's deaths, and a father hell bent on keeping her away from Black at all costs.

For a moment, she considered taking a swig of that fire whiskey.

Ariel was still shaking slightly as she flew out of Snape's quarters and up to the Great Hall. Dinner was probably being served by now. She hadn't realized just how long her and Harry had been in the forest with Sirius.

"_Ariel!" _a voice cried, and the young Gryffindor whirled around to see Damon pushing his way through the throng of students making their way into the hall for supper.

She sighed with relief and ran to meet him. Damon was in the middle of babbling something but she cut him off, whispering a "_Come with me" _to him quickly.

He obediently obeyed, and the pair made their way to a secret passageway across from the Charms classroom. Ariel was pretty sure a lot of students used this hallway to shag, but for the time being, it would work.

"Is Harry alright?" Damon asked frantically as she finally turned to face her friend, "Are _you _alright? He just- he was out one minute and then he was yelling that Black- what the bloody hell happened?"

"He's fine." Ariel said, peeking her head around the corner. There was no one in sight as Damon grabbed her arm and pulled her back into the hallway.

"Did he hurt you? Did Snape get there in time? I'm pretty sure Lupin-" Damon babbled.

"_Shhh_." She hissed to him, pressing her back against the wall. The last thing she needed today was to be spotted by a teacher and have it reported to Snape that she and Damon were _snogging._

"What is going on?" Damon hissed back as he shot her an impatient look, his blue eyes wider than usual.

Ariel sighed and slumped against the cool wall, allowing herself to sink slowly to the ground. The dark haired Slytherin took a seat beside her and rested his arms on his knees, sighing loudly along with her.

"I don't know where to begin." She said slowly, biting her lip, "It all happened so suddenly-"

Damon said nothing as he waited for Ariel to collect her thoughts, turning his entire body towards her when she finally began to speak.

"Remember that black dog we saw before?" asked Ariel.

Damon nodded grimly.

"Sirius Black was that dog." She kept talking despite the fact that Damon had made a strange strangled sound in the back of his throat, "I saw him after Defense Class and I er- I followed him into the forest."

"You _what?"_ he yelled loudly. Ariel shot him a silencing glare as she poked her head out again to make sure no one had heard his cry.

"I know, not my finest moment." She admitted once confirming that the coast was still clear, "But I did. He turned back into a human once we were hidden well enough and- and we talked."

Ariel then dove into the day's events, stopping every once in a while to stop and let Damon take a moment to let her words sink in. He turned a dark shade of green when she mentioned that Sirius had escaped when Lucius mentioned to Bellatrix that Snape had her and her brother, his pale blue eyes as large as bowls.

"You can't- you _really _believe he's innocent?" Damon gawked once she had finished.

She nodded, "I'm going to prove it. Harry and I are going to help him."

"But-but Pettigrew is dead! How can you prove Black is innocent if you can't prove Pettigrew did it?"

"Because Pettigrew's not dead, he turned into a rat and got away. _He _killed all those Muggles, not Sirius."

"This is mad." Damon said, shaking his head, "You can't be sure-"

"That's what we're going to do." She interrupted, "There has to be _something. _If Pettigrew is really alive, we're going to find out."

"This doesn't make sense." He shot back, "I mean, you just follow him into the forest and then Harry collapses, hollering about how Black's got you hostage and now- now you two want to _help him_?"

"Collapsed?" Ariel's eyes furrowed, "What the hell are you talking about? Harry fainted again?"

"I heard Draco giving him some trouble." Damon said, wringing his hands in his robes, "So I came to help and he fell and started screaming. He was out for a couple of minutes and then he just sprang up like nothing happened and yelled for me to get Snape-"

Both of their eyes met as the realization hit them at the same time.

"Christ." She buried her face in her hands, "He had a vision."

Damon seemed as if he had frozen in place as he spoke, only his lips moving, "Where is he now?"

"I- I don't know. Dumbledore was talking to him-"

Her mind was racing a hundred miles a second. Dumbledore had made her swear she wouldn't reveal that she'd had visions of his abuse but- but what was she supposed to do _now_? She couldn't lie to him, he'd know. The second he'd come into the clearing where her and Sirius had been talking, he'd looked frightened already, there was no doubt he'd realized there was some kind of connection now.

She had to find her brother and explain everything.

She bolted upright as Damon jumped at the sudden movement, "We need to talk to him."

"_We?_" he asked, confusion.

Not bothering to answer, she flew out of the corridor and up to Gryffindor Tower, Damon close behind her.

"Er- I don't think this is a good idea." Damon said uncertainly as Ariel muttered the password to the Fat Lady.

"Indeed!" the woman in the painting sniffed, "A _Slytherin _in _Gryffindor Tower_? It's unheard of."

"Oh, be quiet." Ariel snapped to the both of them, and the doorway swung open.

To her relief, Harry was in the common room with Ron and Hermione, who both look deathly pale with fear as the two third years approached. Harry stood up immediately and ran to Ariel, flinging his arms around his sister.

"Are you alright?" he mumbled into her shoulder. He wasn't quite as short as he had been when Ariel first met him, but she was still taller.

"I'm fine." Ariel pulled her brother in tighter, "I would have come sooner, but I thought Dumbledore would still be talking to you."

"And I thought Snape would still be with you." Harry forced a laugh as he broke away, looking behind his sister at Damon.

"Thanks for getting Snape." He gave the Slytherin a small smile, "I know I must have freaked you out- but I can explain." Harry motioned for Ariel and Damon to sit down next to Ron and Hermione, who were exchanging worried glances.

Ariel hesitantly sat down as Harry began speaking.

"I- I had some kind of vision today." Harry began, giving Ariel a nervous look, "When Sirius had you, it triggered some kind of connection we have through our scars," his fingers mindlessly traced over the lightning shaped mark on his forehead, "and it's activated when either of us is in danger. That's how I knew where you were."

Harry was looking around the room, as if waiting for everyone to object and call him a liar. Ariel kept her poker face on and cleared her throat, "Is that all Dumbledore said?"

He nodded, "Have you ever had them? I asked and he- he just kind of avoided the question."

Harry's trust was far more valuable to her than Dumbledore's. She was not going to lie.

"Ron, Hermione," she said softly, "Can you give me and Harry a minute. I- I need to tell him something and I don't know if he'd want you to hear."

Ron shot her a glare, "Harry trusts us, right Harry?" he didn't wait for his friend to answer, "Whatever you have to tell him, we can take it."

"It's not a matter of whether you can take it or not." Ariel said sharply, "It's personal, something between the two of us."

The redhead crossed his arms, "So why aren't you asking Damon to leave too?"

Hermione rolled her eyes as Ariel replied, "Because he already knows; I told him our first year."

Harry was looking at her and Damon curiously as Hermione heaved herself and Ron off the floor.

"Let's go, Ronald, you need to start that Potions essay anyway."

"Get off me!" Ron snarled, ripping his arm from her grasp, "Harry- tell them-"

"It's fine, Ron." Harry said quietly, "Let her talk to me in private."

Ron shot Harry a look of betrayal as Hermione dragged him away, muttering under her breath about how much of an arse he could be.

It was awkwardly quiet before Ariel finally spoke, "I told Snape that Sirius was innocent and that Pettigrew was the real traitor, but I didn't say anything about how Black got past the Dementors."

Harry nodded, "I told the Headmaster the same thing, and about the- er- dream."

Ariel breathed deeply, giving Damon a knowing look before turning to her brother, "Harry, I don't exactly know how to say this- I feel horrible for keeping it from you for this long. You have to believe that I was trying to protect you-"

"Protect me?" he asked, giving her a puzzled look.

She took his hand in hers and squeezed it tightly, "During my first year, I started having these dreams at night of you. At first, they were little things, but they started turning into these horrible nightmares of your uncle and aunt beating you and yelling-"

Harry's face had gone as white as a bed sheet as Ariel felt hot tears beginning to stream down her face, "It got so bad that I started worrying that you were really in danger, that maybe these dreams were real. Dumbledore and Snape wrote it off like it was just me being paranoid but I knew what was happening. They finally believed they were real after I collapsed one night from magical exhaustion- these visions take a great deal of magic and they were happening nightly- Dumbledore and McGonagall finally went to investigate. They said you were at school when they came- but that's why your family was so nice to you during the last couple of months they had you. Dumbledore and McGonagall must have placed spells on them that kept them from harming you anymore."

She paused and allowed for everything to sink in as her brother stood up, his fists balled up tightly.

"I'm so sorry, Harry." She said through her tears, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier but Dumbledore made me swear not to tell you. He said it was important you didn't know, but I couldn't lie to you anymore."

"_You couldn't lie to me_?" Harry asked through barred teeth, "What? And you weren't lying to me before?"

"He said it was to protect you." She choked out, "I would never-"

"_Protect me?" _he spat, "Where were they when I needed them?"

"They didn't know, Harry. They asked Dumbledore to leave them be and raise you as they saw fit. We never imagined that they could-"

"How could you keep this from me?" Harry yelled, "You told me we were in this together-"

"I didn't want you to feel badly because we knew- I thought you'd come to me and tell me what the Dursleys did and then I could maybe tell you-"

Harry kicked a nearby table, crying out in anger as Damon stood up.

"Harry." He said gently, hesitantly reaching a hand towards him, "It's not her fault. She was worried sick all year; she was doing everything she could-"

"_Bull!_" Harry threw several textbooks off the table, "Everyone thinks I'm irreverent, no one tells me anything! The Dursleys don't tell me I'm a wizard, Ariel doesn't tell me about visions, Snape treats me like shit because I look like my dead father, and Dumbledore tells me nothing, _ever._"

The boy was starting to tremble as Ariel jumped up and grabbed his arm, "Harry, please, I'm _sorry-"_

"No you're not." Harry leaned over the table and closed his eyes tightly, "If you cared, you would have said something."

Ariel grabbed his face and brought it close to hers, "Look at me." She commanded. He tried to squirm away, but she held her grip, "_Look at me_."

"Get off me!" he spat back, but opened his green eyes to meet hers.

He was beginning to cry as Ariel swallowed the huge lump in her throat, "I promise you, Harry, the only reason I didn't tell you was because Dumbledore said it was to protect you. I saw how much they hurt you and I was trying to spare you more pain."

Harry didn't answer for a long time. Ariel finally released her hold and took a step back, allowing her brother to calm himself down.

"You need to give me some space for a while." Harry finally said, avoiding Ariel's gaze.

Her stomach twisted painfully, "Space?" she echoed.

"Yeah." He said tonelessly, "I- can't- I need some time, okay?"

"But what about Sirius?" she asked, her bottom lip trembling.

Harry's head snapped up at the sound of his godfather's name, "He's _my _godfather; I should be the one to help him. Ron, Hermione and I'll take care of it."

"No," she argued, "I told him _we'd _do everything we could. He matters to me, too."

"YOU HAVE YOUR GODFATHER." Harry shouted, taking a menacing step towards her and Damon, who jumped, "LET ME HAVE THE ONE PERSON WHO CARES ABOUT ME."

Ariel flinched, "I care about you, Harry."

He glared at her coldly, "Then you would have told me about the link a long time ago."

"You know this isn't what this is about." She argued back, starting to feel a bit annoyed, "It's because we know about the abuse. You never wanted anyone to know! You talk about how _I _kept this from you, while you kept what they did to you from _me_!"

Harry was turning red, "_THAT'S COMPLETELY DIFFERENT AND YOU KNOW IT."_

"No it's not, you should have told someone! You were ready to go back to them last summer! If Snape hadn't-"

"_Oh shut up Ariel. _You've had this perfect little life with no worries until I came along, and that's what you're trying to do now. You never told me about the visions because you never wanted to have this conversation. If you truly cared about what was happening, you would have said something the second you met me. Stop acting like you care so much, when all you want is to keep your life in balance. I'm sorry I'm such a bother."

_A perfect life? _The thought was almost comical to Ariel as she watched her brother's retreating figure. Was she not an orphan just as much as he was? True, she had a guardian who loved and cared for her, but her life was by no means perfect. If she could have ideal existence, her parents would still be alive. No, this all was by no means just fine and dandy. Ariel had never just swept her brother under the rug and crossed her fingers that he wouldn't start trouble. If anything, she'd gone looking for it with him. Was he forgetting last year? Was he forgetting how she broke wizarding law and apparated to his home to make sure he was alright?

Maybe that's not he'd meant.

Harry was not one to cry out for help. Neither was Ariel, but when she found herself in a seemingly impossible situation, she had gone to her father for help-

Harry didn't have a father. Actually, now that Ariel thought about it, Harry didn't have a single parent figure to look up to. Sure, Snape had "_tried,"_ but it was obvious that wasn't going to happen. She couldn't help feeling her anger grow hot against her father for a moment before she realized- she needed to stop blaming people.

Harry was angry with _her _because she had kept a huge secret from him. And to be fair, she hadn't acted interested in his home life despite the fact that she knew about the abuse. She recalled the many times she could have brought it up, allowed him to talk, and she didn't.

She was a horrible sister. Harry was right.

His words felt like daggers as he finally stomped from the room, slamming the boy's quarter door behind him loudly.

"Are you alright?" Damon asked quietly as Ariel tried to steady herself, her brother's words still ringing in her ears.

She shook her head, "No." she mumbled, "I'm not. I- he's-"

"He's angry." Damon said gently, "He didn't mean any of it. He feels humiliated that everyone's known the truth and this is how he's defending himself. Don't blame yourself, he'll come around."

"He hates me." She whispered as she buried her face in her hands.

"Ariel, he's confused. It's been a long day." Damon sighed, "His godfather, maybe the one adult who actually genuinely cares for him, is on the run, and his sister and all the other formerly-trusted adults in his life have been keeping a secret from him. He's not thinking clearly."

Ariel looked up, "When did you become such a sage?"

Damon chuckled, "My uncle has a lot of books of psychology, and I tended to ignore him by burying myself in them. I've taught myself to think from other people's perspectives before my own in situations."

"So then, O Wise One, should I just let him help Sirius on his own?"

"No," he shook his head, "We're definitely helping him. This is bigger than just Harry being angry at you. If Bla- _Sirius _really is innocent, than we need to find a way to make sure he's freed."

"Right." Ariel said, taking a deep breath as she wiped the stray tears from her face, "Then I need to talk to Lupin. Maybe he can help."

"Lupin?" Damon asked, "Are you sure? Maybe you should ask your Dad-"

"No." she cut him off, "My dad is set on making sure Sirius is caught. Lupin was one of his best mates; he'll know what to do once I tell him what Black said."

"Alright." Damon nodded slowly, "But what about Snape then? If he knows you're trying to prove Black innocent-"

"I don't care about that right now." Ariel said quickly, "I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. Right now, I have to find Lupin. I think it's best if I talk to him- alone."

"Got it." He shot her a small smile, "I have his essay to work on anyway."

She smiled sadly back, "It's only the first day and we already have something to worry about."

"It's part of your-"

"Golden Girl responsibilities- I know." Ariel rolled her eyes as she walked over to the doorway and led Damon out.

"You'll let me know what he says?" he asked as they descended the staircase. Ariel could still hear the clatter of silverware and voices from the Great Hall. Dinner should be over any minute.

"Possibly." She said mockingly, although her voice was still thick with guilt.

Damon noticed this and crossed his arms, "Don't berate yourself, Harry'll forgive you eventually. He knows deep down that you were just doing what you were told."

She didn't believe the words, but they were a bit comforting to hear. Damon always seemed to know exactly what to say, even when she didn't deserve it.

"I'll see you later, then." She said as they approached the dungeon entrance.

"Later." He agreed as he walked forward. Ariel was about to walk away when Damon suddenly whirled around.

"Ariel?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm- I'm really glad you're okay."

She snorted as she turned back around and quickly made her way to Lupin's office.

The door was wide open when she finally arrived. Not wanting to be rude, she quietly knock and waited for the professor's reply.

"Come in." a tired voice called. Ariel walked into Lupin's office to find him sitting in his squishy swivel chair, feet elevated on the desk, looking exhausted. He jumped up as she came into sight and ran over to her, gripping her shoulders uncomfortably tight.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his grey eyes searching hers, "I was going to come and see you but I wasn't sure if you were with your father or if you'd even want to see me- or if you'd be in the right frame of mind. I'm- I shouldn't have written you off before, I should have gone looking for the blasted dog the second you said something-" he cut himself off and turned a bit white. Lupin looked a bit like Hagrid when he mentioned something he wasn't supposed to.

Ariel's jaw dropped, "You-you knew the dog was Sirius?"

Lupin stood up and took a step back, "Please Ariel, you have to understand- I was going to tell you, but I wanted to make sure it was really him before I said anything. I never meant-"

"I saw him after I left." Ariel interrupted, "That's how we met- I followed him into the forest."

The Dark Arts professor was looking quite ill, "Ariel I'm-"

"I'm not here to make you feel guilty." Ariel said quickly, trying to sound reassuring, "I need your help."

"Help?" Lupin repeated, "Ariel, after today's events, I'm sure I'm the last person you need assisting you with anything. I almost got you killed for Merlin's sake."

She shook her head, "No, Professor, you didn't. I spoke with Sirius- he's innocent. I need you to help me prove it."

Lupin simply stared at her for a long moment. She was becoming quite uncomfortable under his intense stare, ready to snap him out of it when he finally spoke.

"What did he tell you?"

She told the story for the third time that day, but was more specific this time. Lupin was Sirius' former best friend. If anyone wanted to believe that he could be innocent, or could entertain the idea, it would be him.

"I- I honestly don't know what to make of this." Lupin admitted shakily when she finished speaking, "Pettigrew being your Keeper- although, I suppose it does make a bit of sense. Anyone could have guessed it would have been Sirius or I. We were best mates, after all." He quickly took out his wand and gave a few swishes, the sound of ceramics clattering in the room behind his desk. Ariel guessed he was summoning tea.

"There's also the fact that he didn't kill Harry or I." Ariel pointed out.

Lupin nodded, giving her a tiny smile, "That's true. You said he came to save you from Severus?"

She nodded, "He thinks he's getting his long overdue revenge on James Potter."

The dark arts professor gave a humorless laugh and rubbed his face with his hands, "Of course he does." He muttered, "The grudge lives on. Have you eaten?"

Ariel shook her head, "No, sir, not since breakfast."

Lupin made a disproving noise under his breath and stood up, "Well, let's fix that." The professor snapped his fingers loudly, causing a buffet of food to appear on the coffee table beside his desk.

She hadn't realized how long it had been since she'd eaten until Lupin had mentioned it. Her stomach rumbled loudly enough for Lupin to hear. He chuckled and motioned for her to dig in.

Grabbing a sandwich, Ariel made herself comfortable on the couch as Lupin took a seat beside her.

"So do you believe me?" she asked, taking a bite of her food.

Lupin gave her a long look, "I do." He admitted, "Although I'm going to have to speak with Sirius before I let him near you again, just to make sure."

"So why doesn't my Dad?" Ariel asked, "I mean- I know he hated my real dad and you and Sirius in school but can't he see past that for something like this?"

Hesitating, Lupin stopped what he was going to say when the tea flew into the room, settling gently onto the table. He pretended to be very interested in his drink, taking his time as Ariel stared at him, becoming a bit impatient.

"Sir?"

His head snapped up, looking as if he had been deep in thought.

"Right." Lupin sighed, "You're father is going to kill me for telling you this, but I don't think I should hide it from you. I believe you've earned the right to know."

Ariel sat quietly as her godfather began, "When James, Sirius, and I were in school, Severus and James had quite a rivalry. Most of the time it was just harmless pranks, but one night, Sirius decided to take it a step further. James realized just how dangerous it was at the last second and saved Severus' life, although I don't think your father ever saw it like that. He believes that James did it to save his own skin, and for a while I did too, but- James wasn't a bad person. Neither was Sirius- he just hated Severus and wanted to pay him back for a stupid trick."

"What was the prank?" Ariel asked quietly, gripping her sandwich so tightly that it was turning into mush.

Lupin looked down, "I can't tell you that, I'm sorry."

"Why not?" she demanded.

The professor didn't answer for a long moment.

"There are just some things better left unsaid."

She decided to let this go for the time being. It was obvious that this upset Lupin, and she didn't want to push _another _person too far tonight. She already had Snape and Harry mad at her; she didn't need Lupin as well.

"So you didn't find Sirius earlier?" Ariel sighed, still a bit frustrated Lupin wouldn't give her a straight answer.

He finally looked up at her, "No, he was long gone. I'm guessing you had something to do with that?"

Ariel nodded, "We told him to run when we heard you and Dad coming. Sirius begged Harry to come with him- I felt rather horrible about that." She tried to swallow the new lump in her throat.

Lupin gave her a kind look, "You know that wouldn't have been possible- if the Ministry thought he'd kidnapped the golden children of the wizarding world they wouldn't have stopped at hell nor high water to find you."

"I know." She replied, "I just- I felt horrible. Harry felt even worse- I mean, he escaped for _us_, and we refused to go with him. I can't help feeling guilty that he's all alone out there."

He shook his head, "Sirius isn't thinking clearly, Ariel. He's not being rational."

Another concerning thought popped into her head, "Sirius isn't going to try and hurt my Dad, right?"

This must have been a hard question for her godfather- Merlin, that was weird to say- because Lupin almost spilt the tea he was attempting to pour.

"We'll need to be cautious about this, Ariel." He said as he placed the cup onto the table, "Severus may prove to be, _difficult, _and I'm sure Sirius isn't going to be easy either. He broke out to rescue you, and as far as he knows right now, that's still the plan." He stared directly into Ariel's eyes before speaking again, "You need to promise me that the next time you or Harry sees Sirius, you will come to me. I need to speak with him before we move forward. Understand?"

"Yes, sir." Ariel said, "Will you- er- be telling Harry this?"

Lupin blinked, "I was thinking you could relay this to him."

"He's not speaking to me right now." Ariel blinked furiously as she looked away from the professor, trying to hold back her tears.

She was a bit startled when she felt Lupin's warm hand squeeze her shoulder reassuringly, "I'm sure he'll get over it. Whatever you've done couldn't have been that horrible. He'll forgive you in time."

Shaking her head, Ariel looked back to Lupin who looked as if he wanted to do more, but was holding himself back.

"Still," she said softly, "Could you tell him?"

He nodded, "Of course."

A part of her really wanted to confide in Lupin and tell him what happened, but she held her tongue. She'd known the man for barely twenty-four hours, and he'd saved her life, _twice, _and agreed to help her liberate a wrongly convicted man. It would be asking too much, she decided.

She was about to get up and wish Lupin a goodnight when the door flew open, revealing a cross looking Snape. He looked as if he had smelled something bad as he entered the room, his eyes narrowing upon seeing his daughter and the dark arts professor on the couch, having dinner.

"Lupin." Snape said the man's name as if it were a curse through gritted teeth, "I need to speak with you, _privately_."

Ariel attempted to look engrossed in her food as Lupin stood up.

"Of course, Severus, if you'll follow me-"

They were gone for several minutes in the back room behind Lupin's desk. Ariel guessed Snape must have put up a silencing spell because it was much too quiet. She was sure there must be some kind of yelling going on. Looking around the room, she looked for a spare piece of parchment so she could flee without being rude. She didn't want to leave without thanking Lupin, but she didn't want to have another conversation with her father tonight.

Her efforts proved to be too late, however, as a very tired looking Lupin and stone-faced Snape emerged just as Ariel was standing up to search Lupin's desk.

"Going somewhere?" Snape asked as he arched an eyebrow.

Ariel had to force herself not to glare back, "No, sir." She replied coolly.

"Well, Severus." Lupin interrupted the stare down, "If you'll excuse me, it's been a rather long day and I'd like to retire early."

Snape nodded sharply and flew towards the door. Ariel watched him as he paused in the doorway, whirling around and giving her a blank look.

"Coming?" he asked.

Ariel shook her head.

Snape crossed his arms, "That wasn't a request, Ariel. I'm not letting you out of my sight. Thank Professor Lupin for dinner and come."

Balling her fists, she felt herself glaring back at her father as her face turned hot. She did not appreciate being spoken to like a child.

"You'd better go, Ariel." Lupin said quietly from behind her.

She turned to look at the weary eyed man, who gave her a small smile. Clearing her throat, she walked up to him and mirrored his expression, "Thank you, sir. For _everything_."

She hoped he would understand her emphasis as he nodded and leaned against his desk. Snape was still standing stiffly in the door, eyes narrowed, nostrils flared.

"Let's go." He snapped, his robes billowing dramatically as he stomped away.

Ariel let out a giggle as Lupin rolled his eyes. Was her father _jealous?_

"Go," Lupin chuckled, nodding his head towards the door, "We'll speak tomorrow." he winked.

Ariel looked at her godfather for a long moment before she threw her arms around him and whispered a "_thank you" _before jumping at the sound of her name.

"_ARIEL." _Snape was back in the doorway, nearly shaking with rage.

Lupin looked a bit stunned as Ariel flew out of the room and down to the dungeons as Snape muttered under his breath about how spiteful she could be.

Harry had never cried so hard in his life, and that was saying something.

How many times had Vernon beaten him relentlessly with the belt? How was frying pans had come flying his way? How many toys were thrown by Dudley as Harry had swerved to get out of the way?

It hadn't been so bad when he was little. His earliest memories were of his aunt just shooing him away while his uncle and cousin sat in front of the telly, ignoring him. He was a ghost as a little child, moving silently from room to room, never being acknowledged.

Around the time he was eight was when it really started to get bad. It was as if everything happened in a huge crescendo. One moment, Harry was left alone, given regular meals, even allowed to have a couple of friends, but the next, it was a nightmare.

Once his "freakishness" had started, as Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon liked to call it, was when the hitting and name calling began. The first incident was when he turned his teacher's hair purple. Uncle Vernon had given him a few whacks for that, but nothing serious. It got bad on a hot July day when Harry was nearly drowning in sweat. He'd been thinking of how much he'd love to be ice skating or having a snowball fight when all of a sudden, it began snowing inside the house. Aunt Petunia had started shrieking almost immediately. She was so beside herself that Dudley was forced to call Uncle Vernon at work and have him come home early, which only made things worse for Harry. He'd never had a beating like he did that night, and he wasn't given any meals for three whole days.

It only got worse.

Soon, his chores were so numerous that he barely had time to do anything. His grades in primary school began to slip, he was exhausted all the time, and yet, his guardians still found time to berate him for little things.

The toilet wasn't sparkling? _Crack._

The bushes weren't pruned? _Crack._

Uncle Vernon's shirt had a single crease in it? _Crack._

Every beating seemed as if Vernon was trying to hammer the very life out of him. There was one particular time, when Harry had ended up on the roof of his school, that Harry thought Vernon might actually go through with it. But he'd stopped when Petunia had finally screeched that the boy was becoming unconscious, and Harry was shoved promptly back into his closet. He knew now it was actually the magic his aunt and uncle were trying to stomp out, but it didn't make it any better.

Harry's magic always healed his injuries quickly. He couldn't remember a time when an adult looked at him strangely because of any suspicious markings on him. Sometimes he wished he did have bruising; maybe someone would have come sooner.

But then, a couple of months before he turned eleven, everything decrescendo at once. Suddenly, he was no longer "_freak" _or a "_good-for-nothing-waste-of-space." _He was simply "the boy" again. Vernon's hand no longer came down on him, Petunia stopped yelling at him for simply existing, and Dudley- well, his parents kept him far away from Harry.

Now he knew why the abuse stopped so suddenly. It had been Dumbledore and McGonagall all along. They'd known since they very beginning, and yet not one of them had bothered to tell him that they'd known, that they'd been wrong. Christ, Dumbledore had been prepared to send him back! Even if he was safe from them physically and possibly mentally, what was he supposed to do? Spend his summer in solitude, knowing that his sister and friends were out there participating in fun he couldn't be a part of?

His sister had known this all along, and she hadn't bothered to say a word.

Part of him argued that if Dumbledore had ordered her not to say anything, then it wasn't her fault. But wasn't blood thicker than water? They were the only family they'd had left and she kept this huge secret from him. This connection, this linkage, this bond, what the hell was it? Why had the Headmaster wanted this kept from him?

He didn't know who to be mad at anymore as his head spun wildly. Lying in his bed, part of him hoped Ariel would come in and apologize again. Harry wanted comfort right now, and even though he felt betrayed, Ariel was one of the only people he genuinely trusted with everything.

As the hours ticked past, Ron kept popping in and out asking if Harry was alright, to his annoyance. The sixth time, Harry finally snapped for Ron to bugger off, not bothering to feel guilty as hurt flashed across his friend's face.

It was nearly two in the morning when Harry finally fell asleep.

His sister did not come.


	24. Chapter 24

"This is completely unnecessary." Ariel hissed as Snape walked her from Potions to Astronomy. A group of Hufflepuffs were diving out of the way as Snape and Ariel turned the corner, the look on her father's face daring anyone to stand in their way. He had places to be as well, and lately, he'd had Ariel arrive _hours _before her next class just to ensure she'd be under the supervision of an adult. It had been weeks since Black had kidnapped (Snape refused to call it anything else) Ariel and Harry, and she hadn't been out of Snape's sight for longer than a class period. Her father promptly arrived at the end of every single one of Ariel's classes to escort her wherever need be.

"We are not going to argue this again." Snape snapped back as they whirled the next corner.

"If Sirius was trying to hurt us we'd be dead already. I don't need a bloody guide everywhere I go!"

He shot her a silencing glower in response, grabbing her arm and quickening their pace.

They'd been having these rows daily. Snape would insist that Ariel, as well as Harry, needed protection, Ariel would insist Sirius was innocent, and Snape would glare. It was like clockwork. And yet, Ariel had yet to see anyone watch out for Harry, although Snape assured her that he was being watched just as carefully. If that was the case, then why did _she _need a personal body guard?

The only good thing that came out of this had been Lupin. Whenever Snape had been unavailable, Ariel had brought up the brilliant idea that the dark arts professor keep an eye on her. Snape hadn't been able to say no to that. Instead, he'd turned an impressive shade of purple and agreed through gritted teeth. No matter how much her father hated Lupin, he couldn't bring himself to declare his hatred towards the man. This proved to work as a wonderful excuse when it came to planning Sirius' liberation. Snape wouldn't have dared assume Ariel wasn't protected while with Lupin.

Not that she needed it anyway.

Lupin had finally reunited with Sirius exactly three weeks after the first day of term. He'd returned to the castle late that evening, where the next day he'd told Ariel during lunch in his office that he was convinced of Black's innocence. A glimmer of something hopeful had made itself present in the seemingly always-tired man's eyes that day, and only grew brighter as the days went by. Lupin had been keeping Harry filled in as well, and promised the both of them that they'd be able to see Sirius as soon as Snape laid off a bit.

They'd spent lunch together daily talking about her father and the many tales of his mischief during his time at Hogwarts. It was uplifting to hear such wonderful things about her father, who she hadn't heard much of before then. She'd asked Lupin to tell Harry these tales as well, knowing they'd mean even more to him than her. He'd never seen a picture of them up until he was eleven. He'd been deprived of his family for so long.

Harry hadn't spoken to her at all. She'd tried to chime into a conversation when he was around, but he always left soon after Ariel arrived, usually taking Ron and Hermione with him. Damon had assured her that he'd talked to him and that Harry was no longer angry, just hurt, but it didn't ease Ariel's conscious any less. She still felt horribly guilty about what had transpired, and it seemed that Harry wasn't getting over it anytime soon. Even Snape had caught on that something was up, but never pressed then matter.

Not that he should. Ariel was no longer angry with him, he _did _have a good reason to believe Sirius was anything but innocent, but it frustrated her that he wouldn't just take the idea into consideration. The escorts were going to drive her bloody insane. Deep down she knew he was just terrified for her safety, but she had to admit that even though she trusted and believed Sirius, a part of her feared that he'd try to hurt Snape. She had to figure a way to speak to Sirius without her father knowing before Sirius came looking for her and Harry instead.

This routine went on until mid-November, on a Saturday, when Snape was finally called away to speak to a first year Slytherin's parents about his atrocious grades. The meeting was going to be taking place in front of several Ministry officials who specialized in wizarding children education in London, so Snape would most likely be there all day. He'd also mentioned he'd like to take this opportunity to shop for potions ingredients in Diagon Alley and he wouldn't return until later the following morning. Ariel was mildly curious as to how _that _was going to work out. Parent teacher conferences took place every September, but Snape was exempt from attending due to him usually causing parents to burst into hysterics or receiving death threats. He was never gentle when it came to talking about his students performances in his classroom, and Dumbledore decided to remove Potions from the conference altogether.

Snape had made arrangements for Ariel to stay in Lupin's quarters, which she thought would have been rather awkward if he had not been named her godfather.

"You're to report to his quarters directly after dinner." Snape was saying as he levitated a pair of robes into his trunk, "You're not to go to common room, walk the grounds, or hang about the Great Hall. I'm trusting that you can walk to Lupin's room by yourself without disobeying these orders?"

"Would you like to tell me the exact number of steps to take?" she asked sarcastically from the couch in front of the fire, rolling her eyes.

He slammed the trunk loudly and turned to glare at her, "Watch your cheek, or I'll take points."

She huffed as she stared annoyingly at the blazing fire in front of her, trying to warm her hands. Why were the dungeons always so bloody _cold?_

"Why can't you just drop the bodyguard thing?" Ariel complained, "If you won't believe what I said, the fact that he hasn't tried to see us in months should be proof enough!"

"That's due to your constant supervision." Snape said as he sat down at his desk, "He knows it's foolish to try again now, he's waiting for an opening."

"But Harry's not being babysat!" she shot back, "And Sirius hasn't looked for him either!"

Snape's eyes narrowed a bit at the sound of Black's first name, "I've already assured you that your brother is being looked after as closely as you, make no mistake."

"He doesn't have a guardian as his shadow."

"Maybe not, but he's had eyes on him at all times."

Ariel threw her face into a pillow and groaned noisily, "This is so _dumb_."

"Your safety is not _dumb_. Stop being a- how do the Muggles say it- a _drama queen_."

"I'm not being dramatic, I'm being _smothered_." She fell to the ground and pretended to faint, hoping her father would sense a bit of the ridiculousness of the situation.

Her efforts were futile, although she heard a smirk in his tone when he spoke.

"I'm quite confident you'll survive."

"I can't hear you, I'm too busy suffocating."

"Ariel." The sternness had returned to his voice. Ariel slowly lifted herself up and turned to face him.

"Promise me you'll go straight to Professor Lupin after dinner and that if anything happens, you'll alert him."

His dark eyes were boring into her own as she nodded her head, "I promise, Dad. Don't worry."

"And-" he hesitated a bit, "If anything- _unusual_ should happen with Lupin, you'll tell me."

She arched an eyebrow, "Unusual?"

"If something seems off." Snape clarified, "I need you to let me know."

There was a familiar glint of loathing in his eyes, and Ariel knew what he meant.

"You think he's helping Sirius." Ariel hissed.

His eyes went blank for a moment before turning to their usual cool, composed, black marbles. She almost felt bad. Why did he suspect Lupin? Sure, he and Sirius had been best mates, and well, _yeah, _he _was_ helping Ariel and Harry liberate Sirius. Snape was convinced Sirius was dangerous though, surely he wouldn't be leaving her with Lupin if he doubted his intentions.

"I didn't say that." Was Snape's reply.

"But you're thinking it." She swiftly walked up to his desk, "So why are you leaving him in charge of me?

"Enough." Said Snape tartly as he stood up, "I don't have time for this, I'm leaving soon. Go to dinner."

"You're not getting away that easily." Ariel whirled around the side of the desk and blocked his path.

"I don't have to explain my commands to you." Snape easily brushed past her and flung open the quarter door, "Out. Go to dinner. Report to Lupin. If I hear differently, students will be hearing of your punishment for _generations."_

She could have been stubborn and stayed put where she was until he gave her an answer, but instead, she gave him a knowing glare as she stepped through the doorway.

"Well, have a good trip." Ariel said, not wanting to leave off on bad terms, however irritated she was.

He knelt down and looked her in the eye, "You are aware I'm doing this to ensure you're safe, correct?"

Ariel studied his face for a long moment. There were stress marks in his forehead, no doubt due to his excessive worrying, and shadows under his eyes. He'd looked better, but he'd also looked worse. She couldn't be angry with him for distrusting Lupin. His instincts were right, the professor was helping Sirius, but for the right reasons.

She simply nodded as he ruffled her hair.

"Remember what I said." He called as Ariel made her way out of the dungeons and up to the Great Hall.

Ariel was a bit surprised when she found Godric returning from the grounds and into the hall without Harry. Usually the dog was always at her brother's side, only leaving when Harry insisted, which was during lessons. Other than that, a stranger might think it was a bit creepy how much Godric doted on the boy. The dog had been seemingly ignoring her alongside Harry. If she wasn't so upset over Harry avoiding her, she might have found it rather funny.

As usual, Godric did not run over to her as he caught sight of her. Instead, he bounded into the Great Hall without sparing her a backwards glance, and Ariel soon followed.

Since Harry wasn't speaking to her, Ron and Hermione tended to sit with him away from Ariel, so she'd decided to spend her meals at the Slytherin table. Damon had made several attempts to convince her to sit with Harry anyway but Ariel felt it was easier just to comply and give Harry the space. The Slytherins reaction to the Gryffindor was almost as bad as her fellow housemates to Damon. Draco had nearly choked on a lamp chop the first time she'd sat down, announcing to the whole table that Damon had a girlfriend.

She'd proceeded to hex the little snot, causing Snape to deduct five points from Gryffindor. It had been worth it.

Tonight however, she'd asked Damon to join her at the Gryffindor table so she could tell Harry that they'd be meeting with Sirius after dinner. She'd told him of the plan earlier that day along with Fred and George. However impish the twins might behave towards the professors, they knew how to keep an important secret. Lupin had instructed her to bring Harry to his quarters afterwards, where they would then proceed to a secret spot where Sirius was waiting. She was rather excited, and a bit nervous.

She couldn't figure out if she was tense over seeing Sirius again or speaking to Harry.

Damon was waiting for her and, to her relief, seated in between Harry and Fred. She'd mentioned to Fred and George what had happened, and they'd found the whole ordeal to be quite entertaining. The idea of hoodwinking Snape caused a mischievous twinkle to appear in their eyes.

"Harry," Ariel said a bit louder than needed as she sat down.

Her brother gave a small, acknowledging nod in her direction as he turned his attention back to Ron.

"Harry," she repeated, a little more forceful.

Emerald eyes flashed back in his direction, looking a bit annoyed.

"What?" Harry asked.

She leaned forward, motioning for him to come closer. Harry reluctantly obliged.

"Tonight, after dinner, come with me." She whispered lowly in his ear, "We're meeting Sirius."

As she leaned back into her seat, she could see Harry's eyes lighting up with a joy she hadn't seen since the summer.

"_Really_?" he breathed, his face looking flush with delight, "How? Tonight? Are you-"

"Lupin will explain everything when we get there." Ariel looked around, glaring at several fifth year Gryffindor girls who were looking at Harry oddly, quickly turned their attention back to their food.

"Explain what?" Ron mumbled through a mouthful of soup.

Hermione made a face, "That's disgusting."

Harry quickly whispered a stream of words into his friend's ear, the redhead's eyes growing wider with every word. Hermione shot them both a demanding look and Ron quickly repeated what Harry had told him into her ear as well.

The bushy-haired girl's eyes shot up to the staff table and then back to Ariel.

"It's because your father's not here." Hermione crossed her arms.

Ariel nodded, "It's the only way this was going to work, Hermione. I feel bad, but-"

Hermione was shaking her head, "If Snape finds out about this…" she bit her lip.

"He won't." Ariel said curtly, "There's no way as long as Lupin's helping us. We wouldn't risk meeting Sirius if Lupin had a shadow of a doubt we could get caught."

"You're sure?" Harry eyed her, a hint of caution in his eyes.

Ariel lifted her head up confidently, "Positive."

Her brother's face lit up once again as he began digging into his soup again. Harry looked as if he wanted to scream the news to the entire student body.

"So what happens if ol' Snape _does_ find out?" Fred asked curiously, leaning across Damon to look Ariel in the eye.

Before Ariel answer, Hermione jumped in, "That's not funny, Fred. They could all get in a lot of trouble if they're caught. I imagine Professor Lupin could be sent to Azkaban for aiding a convict."

"Hermione, _drop it_." Ariel hissed, shivering a bit at the idea of Lupin being dragged away by Aurors. He was such a kind, gentle person. Something told her that he might not last long in the wizard prison.

"Well it is a dangerous possibility." Hermione argued, "What would happen?"

"Nothing, because he won't. We're going to clear his name and go from there." Said Ariel.

"But you have to _consider-"_

"Blimey Hermione," Ron dropped his soup-filled spoon in annoyance, "If Ariel says Professor Lupin's plan is foolproof, than it's foolproof. Do you honestly believe they'd risk their necks if they weren't?"

Hermione gave Harry and Ariel a long look, "I think you two are too concerned with seeing _him_ than the threat. It's too risky."

"How are we supposed to help him if we don't see him?" Harry asked, "We can't do anything until we make a plan."

"And why can't Lupin and Sirius do that themselves?" Hermione crossed her arms.

Harry blinked, "Are you saying we shouldn't help him?"

"Of course not, Harry, but-"

"Enough, 'Mione." Damon growled, shooting the second year a dark look, "They'll be fine."

That seemed to silence her. Hermione turned away, looking a little hurt at the fact that all her friends had taken a side against her, and buried her head in her Charms textbook.

Towards the end of dinner, Hermione had begun to stare at Ariel and her brother, biting her lip and playing with her hair nervously. It was starting to drive Ariel a bit crazy, so she decided that it couldn't hurt to leave dinner early.

She motioned with Harry with her head and he jumped up a little too quickly.

"Easy, Harry." Ariel whispered to him as they exited the Great Hall, seemingly unnoticed.

"I'm fine." He shot back, sounding a bit annoyed.

They were silent as they made their way to the professor's office. Ariel wanted to stop him there, make him stop and listen to her apologize and forgive her, but now wasn't the time. Maybe afterwards they'd be able to talk. Harry surely couldn't stay mad at Ariel forever.

She still wasn't even sure if she was worthy of being forgiven. She should have told him right off the bat. There was no excuse to hold anything from her brother unless it was for his safety, and well, Dumbledore had been wrong. He'd still had a vision- had he expected him not to?- and Harry would have connected the dots eventually. He wasn't a dolt.

Harry's voice tore her from her thoughts, "Are you okay?" he asked quietly.

Her eyes snapped to him. He was looking away, but was walking rather close to her.

"I'm fine."Ariel replied, "Just thinking."

"About what?"

_About how much of an idiot I am. _"About how much I hate us not talking."

He gave her a cold laugh, "Yeah, that must blow."

Stopping dead in her tracks, she turned rapidly so that she was blocking Harry's path, "Harry, I'm _sorry_. I swear, I only kept it from you because of Dumbledore-"

"Save it." He hurried past her, "I don't want to keep Sirius waiting."

She grabbed his arm and pulled him back behind her, "Seriously? You're _still _angry? Are you kidding me?"

His eyes narrowed, "Am _I _kidding _you_? You've been lying to me since the moment we met!"

"That's not true! I would have told you if you'd asked."

"Even though the Headmaster asked you not to?"

Ariel hesitated, "Yes."

Harry snorted, "You're a horrible liar."

"I'm not lying." Ariel said, getting frustrated. This entire situation was going to drive her batty.

Harry crossed his arms, "You still should have told me."

"I know, I- I just wanted to keep you safe, Harry. I knew you'd be upset if you knew we'd known all this time. That's why I want to liberate Sirius- so you two can be together."

"So, what? You think that if Sirius gets freed and me and him become a perfect little family like you and Snape everything will be all unicorns and pink skies?" A look of disgust was creeping over Harry's face.

Ariel made a face, "No, Merlin no. Trust me, Snape and I are _far_ from a perfect family, so stop saying that. What I meant was- I want to see you happy, and Sirius obviously cares a lot about you- he's your godfather. You deserve to have someone like that in your life."

Harry's guarded expression had disappeared, "He deserves to be free, not my godfather."

"He should be counting his lucky stars he's your godfather."

He looked away, "You don't mean that." He mumbled, "I'm just some freak who people think is the next dark wizard or the freaking Messiah."

Ariel blinked in shock, "Dark wizard? Who the hell said _that_?"

Harry shrugged, "I heard a couple of sixth year Gryffindors talking about it at the Halloween Feast. People have always looked at me weird, like I'm some bomb they're waiting to go off. Especially the Dursleys."

Her eyes narrowed, "The Dursleys are the biggest pieces of shite to ever set foot on this earth. You have to know that by know, right? The way they treated you was- _inhumane_."

"I know that." Harry replied quietly, "Hermione and Ron- I told them about it and they've- they've been really supportive."

Her chest burned painfully at the fact that he'd chosen to confide in them and not her.

"No one deserves to be treated the way you were," Ariel continued, trying to keep her voice steady, "You were a bloody house elf to them. Harry, if I'd known sooner-"

"-you would have come and gotten me, I know." Harry finished, "It still doesn't change the fact that you knew and didn't bloody tell me."

Avoiding his condemning gaze, Ariel looked down at her feet, "I don't expect you to forgive me, but I am sorry. I never meant for it to happen like this- it wasn't fair to you."

Harry was very quiet as Ariel held her downward gaze.

"Will you promise me something?" he finally asked.

Ariel's head snapped up, his emerald eyes staring at her intently, "Anything."

"No more secrets." Harry said, his gaze turning deadly serious, "If something's happened, we tell each other immediately. No beating around the bush."

"I promise." Ariel blurted out quickly, "I cross my heart, pinky swear, I swear on my-"

"Okay, okay." Harry gave a small laugh, his expression softening a bit, "I believe you."

Ariel's jaw dropped, "You do? You forgive me?"

Harry nodded, "I was mad at first, but Damon and Hermione- they've been talking to me for the past couple of months. We can't go on like this, Sirius needs us, and with Voldemort out there-"

Harry became very quiet. He looked as if he was deep in thought as he finally looked up to stare her in the eyes, as if he was searching for something. She held his gaze, hoping that her expression showed just how apologetic she was.

"We should go, Sirius is waiting." Harry began walking away.

Ariel waited a moment before following her brother, still feeling as if something was still unsaid.

Harry couldn't help feeling a bit guilty as he watched his sister's face crumple behind him. He knew that this wasn't really Ariel's fault; Dumbledore was to blame. The wise, old wizard who Harry nearly regarded as a father figure had left him with the Dursleys after Ariel had told him what they'd done to him. That's when he realized that he was nothing more than a pawn, a chess piece in the Headmaster's war game. That also meant Ariel was, and he wasn't going to see that happen. As hurt as he was that Ariel had kept such a huge secret from him, Harry was going to do everything he could to make sure she was safe as well.

They walked the rest of the way to Lupin's office in complete silence. Harry noticed a couple of times that Ariel seemed to be speeding up so she could walk side by side with him, but would slow down quickly, almost as if she was arguing with herself on whether or not she should still give Harry space. He almost turned around and snapped at her to just choose a pace, but stopped himself. Dumbledore was who he was angry with, not Ariel.

Upon entering Lupin's office, they found the dark arts professor filling a bag with several assorted foods.

"For Sirius." Lupin explained when he caught their puzzled looks, holding up an orange.

"Right." Harry nodded. Lupin had mentioned he'd been bringing Sirius food when he could. Wherever he was hiding was apparently close by, for the professor had told them it would be in walking distance. Was Sirius hiding at Hogwarts? Or perhaps the Forbidden Forest?

Lupin's voice broke Harry from his thoughts, "Before we go, I want to go over something with the both of you one more time."

Harry caught Ariel staring at her hands, looking very solemn, although she looked up at the sound of Lupin's serious tone.

"If anything is to go wrong tonight," Lupin began, "I'm instructing you to run. If the Dementors somehow find us, you two will have no way of defending yourselves. Once they catch sight of Sirius, they will stop at nothing and no one to get to him. Dementors do not distinguish between the one they hunt and the innocent, nor do they have mercy on children. As you saw on the train, they took a certain interest in the both of you, and I'm quite sure that if we're to cross their paths tonight, they'll take another opportunity to feed on you. So if the worst is to happen, you will run. Promise me this, both of you." He gave each of them a look mixed between pleading and gravity.

"We promise, sir." Ariel spoke up finally, "Do you think it will come to that?"

Lupin shook his head, "Merlin, I hope not. Where we're going is nearby, and I'm certain the Dementors aren't stationed anywhere near there."

"Is where we're going where Sirius has been all this time?" Harry asked.

"Yes and no," said Lupin, "He's been spending much of his time in his dog form in the Forest, although when he wants to stretch his legs, he goes to where we'll be embarking tonight."

"And where is that, sir?" Ariel asked.

The professor gave them both a long look before speaking, "The Shrieking Shack."

Ariel gave a small gasp, "The Shrieking Shack? But it's the most haunted place in all of Britain! Why in Merlin's name is Sirius staying _there_?"

_The most haunted building in all of Britain?_ Harry felt his stomach churn at the new information. Surely his godfather wouldn't put him in this kind of danger, would he?

Lupin was shaking his head again, a faint smile playing on his lips, "Despite popular belief, the Shrieking Shack was never haunted. It's simply a creepy, worn-down building."

Ariel arched an eyebrow, "How do you know that?"

Throwing the bag of food over his shoulder as he made his way towards the door, Lupin gave a small laugh, "Let's just say your father, Sirius, and I had one too many adventures in that sad excuse for a structure."

Harry exchanged another puzzling look with Ariel before they made their way out the door with Lupin. He was surprised to see that instead of using the usual route he saw the older students take to Hogsmeade, they were making their way towards the Whomping Willow. Harry had never been close to the tree, but had heard enough stories about it to know it was best to stay as far away from it as he could.

"Uh, sir?" he asked nervously, "How exactly are we getting to the Shrieking Shack?"

Lupin turned and gave him and Ariel an amused look, "By the way your dad and I used to get there."

They were getting awfully close to the malicious tree now. The willow began to shake and quiver as they drew near, bending its branches towards the trio menacingly.

"Right," Lupin said, staring at the tree's movements, "Well, it seems our dear willow is a bit pricklier than usual tonight. We'll have to go down one by one." He threw the bag of food to Ariel, whose was biting her lip like Hermione was before.

"I'm going to distract it." Lupin continued, beginning to move around to the other side of the tree. He raised his wand, producing a bright red light which Harry immediately recognized as a Stinging Hex.

The tree spun around, waving its branches furiously as it turned on the professor, who had broken into a run.

"Go!" he commanded as he shot another hex.

"Go _where_?" Ariel shouted, but the professor was already out of range.

Harry took a step towards the tree, whose full attention was on the adult wizard flinging hexes at it. For a moment, he imagined his father and Sirius alongside him, laughing. Throwing stupid hexes in order to irritate vegetation was certainly something he could have seen his father and friends doing during their Hogwarts days.

He took another hesitant step forward, his eyes landing on a small opening underneath the trunk of the willow.

"Here!" he yelled back to his sister, who came running to his side. "I'm going in!"

Before Ariel could protest, Harry flung himself into the tunnel. He felt as arm catch onto something sharp as he traveled through the darkness, yelping out in pain. It was over as soon as it had begun, and Harry found himself landing on a hard floor with a loud _thud_.

He heard a distant shout, and quickly moved away from the tunnel opening as Ariel flew into view. She landed smack on her rear, quickly flinging herself off the ground and looking around for Harry. Her eyes finally locked on him, widening in concern.

"You're arm is bleeding." She immediately ran to him and grabbed the limb.

He hadn't realized he'd actually been injured until she pointed it out. A sharp throbbing was making itself present in Harry's upper arm. "Ouch." He hissed as Ariel moved his torn robes out of the way.

"Sorry." She apologized, worry creeping into her voice.

Harry looked down to see a gash, not very deep from the looks of it, bleeding on his arm. Ariel quickly _accio'd _a piece of rope on the other side of the room and transfigured it into a roll of gauze.

Harry raised his eyebrows in surprise, "I didn't know you were _that _good at transfiguration."

"It's fairly simple." Ariel said as she began wrapping up his arm, "It tends to be easier if the materials are close in matter. It's harder to say, transfigure a teacup into a kitten than a piece of rope into gauze. There's physics in stuff behind it, kinds of scientific laws. I read a book once written by a wizard who actually tried to define the exact rules of magic and why we're able to perform certain acts."

He'd known Ariel was smart, but he'd never known her to research stuff like _that_ on her own. She almost sounded like Hermione, going on step further than needed. A bit intrigued, he was about to ask more about it when a voice called for the recesses of the shack.

"Remus?" his godfather's voice called, "Is that you?"

"In here!" Harry called loudly, struggling to get up and go to Sirius, but Ariel held him back.

"Hold on a sec, Harry, let me get this bandaged."

"I'm fine." He brushed Ariel aside and attempted to stand again. The hold on his arm did not lessen however, and Harry turned to glare at his sister. "Seriously, Ariel, my arm feels fine. Let me go see Sirius."

He could tell she was about to argue when Lupin came flying down the tunnel, far more graceful than Harry and Ariel had. Sirius also came into view, standing in the doorway looking a lot better than he had last time Harry had seen him. He was no longer in the grungy Azkaban prisoner uniforms, his hair was brushed and healthier, and his skin had gained some color, although he was still very pale. The lines of worry on his forehead smoothed out once he caught sight of the two children, breaking into a face-splitting grin.

"Harry!" Sirius cried, immediately running to embrace his godson, but stopped, his eyes locking on Harry's bleeding arm. Reaching a hand forward, he urged Harry to come to him, "What happened? Did you hurt yourself on the way down?"

Harry once again pulled himself away from Ariel's iron grip, but she did not release her hold.

Lupin was staring at him now, concern written all over his face. _You might as well think I've lost my bloody arm, the way everyone's acting._

"He's fine." Ariel reassured the two men, who exchanged a worried glance, "He must've snagged it on a stray tree branch or something when he was coming down."

"I should have been some kind of Cushioning Spell on the tunnel." Lupin muttered to himself as he set down the bag of food.

Harry's eyes snapped back to his sister, glaring at her impatiently.

"Alright, alright," Ariel rolled her eyes as she tied up Harry's arm, "You're good for now, but you're probably going to have to have Professor Lupin-"

He didn't hear a word she said. Harry flew into his godfather's arms, immediately burying his head into his chest and held onto him for dear life. While he'd only met him one other time, the fact that this man had risked life and limb to come and save him meant more to Harry than anything he'd ever known, besides his parent's sacrifice. But they weren't here, and Sirius was, and he was going to make damn sure that the one adult who may truly care about him wouldn't slip through his fingers.

Sirius' arms tightened around him as he leaned into him. Suddenly, he found himself on the ground as Sirius leaned his head into Harry's neck and let out a kind of strangled sob. They stayed this way for what seemed like hours, holding one another and mourning the time that had been lost.

"Well, I never thought you to be such a mush, Padfoot." Lupin's voice caused Sirius to look up and grin.

The two boys finally broke apart as Lupin extended a hand to Harry to help him up.

"Ariel." Harry heard Sirius breathe, and turned to see Sirius engulfing his sister in a hug.

"You look much better." She mumbled into his shoulder. Sirius and Lupin gave a small laugh.

"Thank you both." Sirius said as he broke away from Ariel's embrace, "For telling Moony about my innocence. I know I must have sounded like a nutter-"

Harry held up his hand to silence him, "You were worried, we understand. That's not what's important though. Getting your named cleared is."

Sirius gave them both a look that shone with gratitude before turning behind him, "There better be some pudding in that bag." Harry looked to see Sirius eyeing the bundle with a hungry look in his eye. His godfather looked better, but was still terribly skinny.

"Afraid not," Lupin said, "I brought you a _balanced _diet."

Sirius moaned, "I'm not a rabbit, for Merlin's sake. Why the bloody hell do you think my Animagus is a _dog_?"

"I wasn't aware dogs enjoyed pudding." Lupin joked as he opened the bag and threw Sirius an apple, who caught it and regarded it as if it were a shrunken head. Sirius made a face and plopped down beside the bag, tossing his orange between his hands.

"How am I supposed to last on this garbage?" Sirius grumbled, "I need something with _substance, _Moony!"

"Moony?" Harry asked curiously as Lupin and Ariel laughed at Sirius' pouty face.

"Mine and James' nickname for Remus when we were kids," Sirius explained.

"So then you were- what did Professor Lupin call you before? - Padfoot?" Harry asked.

Sirius nodded and grinned, "And your father was Prongs." His eyes suddenly filled with a hint of sadness, "You look just like him, you know. Except for your eyes."

"Lily's," Remus finished, "And Ariel looks just like her."

"Exactly like her," Sirius agreed, "You could never tell she was James', though."

"Everyone's always said that." Ariel said, a hint of curiosity in her voice, "Is there really no resemblance?"

Sirius hopped up and grabbed Ariel's face in his hands, studying her closely. She let out an awkward laugh, giving Harry an embarrassed look. Harry grinned back at her.

"You don't have either of their eyes," Sirius pointed out, still looking over her face carefully, "They're so dark- James' eyes were a hazel. It's like someone took Lily's DNA and made a copy or something." He removed his hands from her face and took a step back, his eyes still looking her over.

"You're not acting much better than last time." Lupin teased, "Studying her like that. Must you act like a freak, Padfoot?"

"If he's a freak, than I want to be a freak!" Harry came to his godfather's defense, "He was only acting odd because he wanted to save us. I wish I was as brave as him."

Sirius' was turning misty eyed again as he looked at Harry with he could only identify as admiration, "You and your sister are the brave ones, Harry. You're helping the man who couldn't save your parents."

"How could we not?" Harry asked, "Did you really think we'd just abandon you?"

"You should have." Sirius whispered, "I couldn't take care of you- you were _my _responsibility. _Our _responsibility," he looked over at Lupin, who avoided his gaze, "You two were depending on Remus and I."

It was quiet for a long moment as the four of them allowed Sirius' words to ring.

"So," Ariel started hesitantly, "We're here to make a plan."

Lupin nodded, "I've spoken to Albus, and he's agreed to help us if we require his assistance. However-"

Sirius' eyes narrowed at the sound as the Headmaster's name as Harry's eyebrows shot up to his forehead, "You- you told him? Dumbledore _knows_?"

"Professor Dumbledore," Lupin corrected gently, "But yes, he came to me not long after your sister informed me that Sirius was innocent. He's agreed to help to an extent, but cannot due much due to his position in the Ministry and your father."

Sirius made a rumbling noise in the back of his throat. Lupin whirled around to give his friend a knowing glare, "Behave." He warned.

"_Behave?" _Sirius snapped, "Snivellus is _not _her father."

Lupin's glare intensified, "Padfoot, we discussed this. He's not looking for revenge-"

"The hell he is, the greasy slime ball. He was always looking to get back at James, especially after-"

"He's taken good care of her, that's something we can't say. For the both of them." Lupin reminded him.

Sirius jumped up and looked as if he was going to snarl something back, but quickly restrained himself. A look of guilt clouded over his face as he gave a great sigh, "You're right, we failed them in that matter. But that doesn't matter now, we're going to take them away from here, away from Snape."

"No, we're not." Lupin said firmly, trying to calm the nervous look that had appeared on Ariel's face.

"Remus-"

"Can't we debate this _another _time?" Harry finally broke in, "The custody battles can wait. Right now, we have to figure out how to prove Sirius is not guilty."

"_Custody battles_?" Ariel asked shrilly.

Lupin had walked over to Ariel and put a reassuring arm around her shoulders, "There aren't going to be any wars over who has you, Ariel. Severus is your guardian and as long as you want to stay with him, then that's where you will be."

Sirius was biting his lip so hard Harry thought he would rip it open any second.

"Remus-" Sirius voice came out as a strangled growl.

"_Right, Sirius?" _Lupin asked in his nicest tone, although his expression dared Sirius to say anything but yes.

Sirius grumbled in agreement, although Harry could already see this was going to be a problem. Ariel looked absolutely horrified at the moment. He could tell she was trying her best to mask it, but it just wasn't working. A part of Harry hoped that by the time this was all over with, Sirius would just take Harry and leave Ariel be. After all, Sirius wasn't Ariel's godfather; Lupin was. Harry also vaguely remembered Ariel saying it had been a blood adoption, meaning it was binding. No one could take Ariel away, not unless he willingly gave up his parental rights.

Harry, however, could leave the Dursley's quite easily.

"I think I may have a plan." Lupin's voice brought Harry back to reality, "Unless anyone else would like to have a go?"

Harry looked over at his sister, who was biting her lip, "I've been doing research, but I couldn't find a strong enough locator spell to use on Pettigrew, not one I would be able to do at least. I'd thought about maybe somehow luring Pettigrew into the open, maybe exposing him, but we wouldn't know where to start…"

Lupin was nodding in agreement, "I gave that idea a go as well, and it's not possible, at least not now. Maybe if the little cretin decides to make an appearance we'll have more to go on, but for now, I think it might be best if Sirius sent the Ministry his memories and they viewed them in a Pensive."

"A Pensive?" Harry asked.

"It's a device that allows you to relive your memories, or others." Sirius explained. He was beginning to pace back and forth across the hall, considering Lupin's idea. "How would they get the memories? How would they know they're genuine?"

"There's a potion that can be used in order to validate they haven't been altered. As for how they'll get into Ministry hands- they'll be dropped off anonymously. I'm sure Albus will find a way to get them there and to the Aurors." Lupin said.

Sirius was still pacing back and forth, giving Lupin a skeptical look when he mentioned Dumbledore, "I don't know if that's such a good idea-"

"We don't have any other choice, Sirius." Lupin crossed his arms over his chest tightly.

"I don't trust him. Albus placed Ariel with _Snape-"_

"And it was a great decision." Ariel cut in through gritted teeth.

"You don't mean that." Sirius waved her off, continuing his pacing, "You don't know better-"

"_I don't know better_?" Ariel's tone turned dangerous, "Snape is as much my father as James Potter was."

"He was one of _them,_ Ariel." Sirius finally stopped walking and gave Ariel a long, knowing look.

"_Sirius_," Lupin barked as Ariel turned rather pale.

"Moony- you _did _tell them, right?" Sirius was glaring at Lupin now.

Lupin's eyes narrowed into slits and began to turn an interesting yellow color. Harry was beginning to get the sense that Sirius was running his mouth a bit too much, and it was making the professor angry.

"I don't believe you!" Sirius exploded, ignoring his friend's increasing rage, "You're her _godfather_, she's James'! _How could you not tell her?_"

"He's not what you think anymore." Lupin took a menacing step towards Sirius, daring him to speak another word.

"What are you talking about?" Ariel finally snapped, "What was Snape?"

"He was a-"

"_SIRIUS!" _Lupin roared.

Sirius' eyes widened in surprise, and a bit of fright, taking a step away from Lupin, who looked as if he was ready to pounce. Harry had never seen the professor so emotional, so angry.

The atmosphere was a mixture of rage and fear and Harry whipped his head between the two men and his sister. It was deathly quiet now, except for the small creaks and pangs that the Shrieking Shack was making. Harry's chest began to burn rather badly as he realized he was holding his breath. Taking in a large gulp, his lungs filled with the cold November air as he watched the dull yellow glow leave Lupin's eyes and resume a natural color. Sirius was still tensed, as if he wanted to scream back at his friend. Harry could tell Sirius wasn't used to being silenced like this, but could see that whatever it was Ariel and him didn't know was serious.

_What was Snape? _What the bloody hell did that mean?

Harry didn't have any more time to contemplate Sirius' words as a deadly voice broke through the silence.

"I should have known."

Four pairs of eyes snapped to the tunnel entrance, which was now being blocked by Snape, the look on his face putting Lupin's to shame.

_The stupid, bloody werewolf. _

To Snape, it always felt like responsibility fell on his shoulders. _He _had to make sure Ariel was safe. _He _had to make sure _Harry _was safe. _He _had to make sure the stupid wolf took his potion so that he wouldn't turn into a flesh-eating monster every full moon.

How did he find himself in this position?

He didn't mean when it came to the children, but the _werewolf? _As if he didn't have enough to do already, he had to brew the potion in order to ensure that _Remus Lupin, _former _Marauder,_ would stay sane during a full moon. If someone had told him this is what being the potions master at Hogwarts entailed, he would have laughed in their face.

The only thing that kept him from brewing the bloody potion was the fact that if he didn't, Ariel would be in danger, and there was no way in Hell he was going to let _that _happen. Not to mention the fact that Ariel would never speak to him again if she knew he'd refused to help her godfather.

To Snape's immense disappointment, Ariel had taken to Lupin fairly quickly. The Mauraders had always had a talent for displaying good, decent, loving people on the outside, but Snape knew their true colors. James, Sirius, and Remus were sadistic, arrogant, vile _fiends._ They'd made that very clear to Snape the day they'd lured him to the Shrieking Shack. He'd never truly forgiven Dumbledore for not expelling the lot of them that night. But at the same time, he shouldn't have expected it. Three Golden Gryffindors, expelled because they pulled a prank on a nasty, evil, dark-arts loving Slytherin? It was the equivalent of Fudge starring in an opera. No, Dumbledore would never see, but Snape did. James had deceived Lily, Sirius had deceived the Order, and now Remus was deceiving Ariel.

If the wolf put her in danger, Snape was going to see to it that the Dark Lord looked like the bloody tooth fairy before Snape was done with him.

And tonight, it seemed as though Snape might have his chance.

Snape was snarling under his breath about how idiotic the wolf still was as he made his way back to his quarters. The stupid animal had forgotten to ask Snape for his potion for tomorrow night, and of course, Snape had been the one to remember just as he was about to apparate. The thought that Lupin may have been unleashed upon the school, upon his _daughter_, was enough to make his blood run cold. The memory of his night in the Shrieking Shack had not been one he easily forgotten, and had been plaguing his dreams ever since Lupin had begun teaching.

The Ministry would have to wait, Snape decided, as he billowed down to the dungeons. He'd have to come up with some kind of creative excuse as to why he was so late. A sharp pain began to make itself present in his forehead, which Snape immediately recognized as a migraine, no doubt due to his annoyance and stress. If Lupin continued to teach here, Snape would drop dead from an aneurysm before he reached thirty-five.

Quickly bottling the Wolfsbane potion he'd preserved the previous night, Snape flew from his quarters and up to the Dark Arts professor's office, not bothering not knock as he entered. He could only imagine the look on the moron's face when Snape entered and reminded him that he'd nearly forgotten to take the one thing that kept himself and everyone safe during a full moon.

To Snape's horror, Lupin and Ariel were nowhere to be found.

He was going to kill her. And then utterly _destroy_ Lupin.

"_Don't worry Severus," _Lupin had told him earlier that day, "_She'll be just fine. Don't you trust me by now?"_ The man had the audacity to give him a smile.

It had taken everything Snape had not to slap the ridiculous look off the man's face, "_No, wolf, I don't."_ Snape had replied curtly, "_The only reason this is happening is because I know she wouldn't go willingly with any of the other professors."_

"_I'll have to agree with you on that," _Lupin had given a small laugh, causing Snape to glare more intensely, "_I'll keep an eye on her, and Harry."_

"_You're not keeping as close a watch as we initially agreed." _Snape had snapped, _"Black could be anywhere-"_

Lupin had clumsily dropped the mug of coffee he was holding, cutting Snape off. Rolling his eyes, Snape waited impatiently as Lupin had scourgified the liquid.

"_Ariel and I will remain in my quarters until tomorrow morning when you come to get her." _Lupin had said, "_You have my word, Severus. I'll keep her safe."_

The last three sentences were ringing in Snape's ears as he stared at the empty office. Cursing loudly, he quickly deposited the potion into his robe pockets and stomped his way up the Gryffindor Tower to throttle his daughter. Of course the wolf had let her spend the night with her friends. Of course he'd specifically gone against his orders. He should have never trusted him, he should have relied on his instincts. The wolf could not be relied on, and this proved it.

"Well, well, if it isn't Severus Snape." The Fat Lady sniffed as Snape faced the portrait that guarded the lion's den.

"Open up." He commanded, "I need to speak with my daughter."

"Is that the excuse you're using to plant another prank on James Potter and his friends?" the Fat Lady laughed, "You'll have to come up with a better one than that."

Snape's lip curled, "I'm not longer a student here, you infernal woman. I am the Potions Master, and I wish to speak to one of my students."

Before the painting could argue further, the doorway swung open, revealing a very irritated looking Hermione Granger. She nearly ran into the professor as she rushed out, her face contorting into fear as she caught sight of Snape.

"S-s-sir!" she gasped, "I thought-"

"Ms Granger," Snape said, his tone causing the girl to shrink back, "Go and fetch my daughter, and assure her that if she doesn't come willingly, that I will not hesitate to go into your precious hideaway and _drag _her out."

The Granger girl simply stared. Growing more impatient by the second, Snape leaned down and whispered in his most dangerous voice, "_Now_."

That seemed to have worked. The terrified second year bolted back to the safety of the Gryffindor common room, leaving Snape to wait.

"Severus, what are you doing here?" a voice asked coolly.

Snape turned to see McGonagall at the top of the staircase looking as if she had bitten into a lemon.

"I'm here to denounce my Slytherin ways and become an honorary prick." Came his snarky reply.

Eyes narrowed, McGonagall crossed her arms, looking like a parent about to chastise her naughty child, "Sarcasm is not necessary, Severus," she snapped, "And it would do you some good to remember that your daughter is one of those 'honorary pricks.'"

Snape rolled his eyes, "Do learn to take a joke, Minerva. I'm simply here to retrieve my daughter."

McGonagall raised an eyebrow, "And how many of my students have you terrorized in order to do so?"

"Only one, the Granger girl. I've ordered her to go and get Ariel now." Snape replied shortly.

The Head of Gryffindor looked as if she was about to berate him for scaring one of her precious lions when the portrait door swung open again, revealing a nervous looking Granger and three of the Weasley boys.

Snape arched an eyebrow, "Well? Must I go in and get her myself?"

"She's not here, sir." One of the Weasley twins piped up, and smile playing on his lips.

"I'll take that as a 'yes.'" Snape quickly shoved the students aside and flew into the common room, his stomach turning nauseously at the sight of all the red and gold decorations displayed.

"_What the hell-"_

"_What's the greasy bat-"_

"_-wonder if Potter's-"_

"Severus!" McGonagall's voice snapped from behind him.

"Minerva, I am simply here to get my daughter," he hissed back as he turned, scanning the room for Ariel, "I promise, I'll try not to take too many House points during my time here, however, I do not wish to linger any longer than need be." It was true, the lion's den was even worse than he'd imagined. He'd only seen a glimpse of it once that night Lily had rejected his apology, but now that he was actually _here_, he realized he was never more out of place.

"_You'll do nothing of the sort."_ McGonagall spat, "For Merlin's sake, I'll go and get here. Stay here, and do _not _provoke any of my students!" She marched from the common room and up a staircase off to the left, which Snape assumed was the girl's dormitory.

Many of the Gryffindors were scurrying off to the dormitories, leaving the Granger girl and the Weasley boys alone with him. The girl was starting to turn a rather ugly shade of green, while the three redheads were staring defiantly at the potions master.

Snape suddenly realized that the Potter boy was nowhere to be found.

"Where's Harry?" he demanded.

"Sleeping, sir." Came Ronald Weasley's reply, "He was tuckered out from Quidditch practice today."

"Quidditch practice?" Snape repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, sir." Fred Weasley said, "Wood worked him harder than usual. He nearly fell asleep during dinner."

Before Snape could inquire further, McGonagall came rushing down the stairs, "Severus- she's not here."

Lupin was going to be a mere pile of ashes when Snape got his hands on him.

"Go wake Potter," he snapped to Ron.

The four children exchanged uneasy glances. Snape took a menacing step towards them, "_Now_."

Even McGonagall was starting to look cross as Ron continued to hesitate, "Mr Weasley, perhaps you need help locating the boy's dormitory?"

"No, ma'am." The boy turned as red as his hair, "But-"

"But _what_?" Snape barked, "Are you so incompetent that you've lost the ability to use your legs? _Go boy."_

"Severus!" McGonagall hissed. He ignored her and continued to advance on the children.

"He's not here." The Granger girl finally blurted out.

Snape froze, "Mr Weasley just stated-"

"He lied." The girl whispered, "Ariel and Harry were never here."

McGonagall's anger turned on the children, "So why didn't you just say so in the first place? You must have known we'd figure out they snuck out once we checked the dormitories for them."

The Gryffindor's idiocy was the least of Snape's concerns now, although he made a mental note to assign each of them a month's worth of detention later, "Weasleys, Granger, if you don't tell me where my daughter and her brother went by the time I finish this sentence," he said in his most dangerous tone, "you will find yourselves expelled from this institution before you can even began to think of a way to weasel yourself out of this. So I suggest you start talking, _now_."

"They went with Professor Lupin!" Granger practically yelled, earning a startled look from everyone in the room.

"Where was he taking them?" Snape asked.

He again received no answer due to Ron shooting the girl a look clearing stating that her answer may incur the end of the world.

"I-I don't know, sir." Granger whispered.

McGonagall had to place a restraining hand on Snape to keep him from strangling the quivering Gryffindor.

"Well, I suggest you think of something, Ms Granger. If Mr and Ms Potter are hurt or in mortal peril, I can assure you that the consequences will be catastrophic." McGonagall said sternly.

The Weasleys exchanged nervous glances. The twins finally pushed Ron forward, who swallowed loudly as Snape's murderous glower. There was a red shimmering on the edges of his vision, and as much as he wanted to ensure Ariel and Harry were safe, he couldn't wait to get his hands on Lupin.

"They- they went to Hogsmeade." Ron finally said, looking Snape straight in the eye.

"Hogsmeade?" McGonagall asked, surprise in her voice, "Why on earth would- Lupin must know better, with Black on the loose-"

Snape had flown out of the room. He could feel his hands twitching and wasn't sure he would have been about to resist choking the life out of the youngest Weasley boy if he had stayed another second. They obviously knew where they had gone, and if Granger and the Weasleys knew, then one other person was sure to know as well, and Snape was damn well going to get it out of him.

"_MALFOY_." He roared as he threw open the doors to the Slytherin common room. Several first years cried out in terror and immediately took cover behind the large, green couches in front of the fire, while others pretended to be invested in their textbooks.

The boy was sitting in the corner where Snape usually saw him, a book on Blinding Curses propped open in front of him.

"Sir." Damon replied blandly, not at all fazed by the professor's wrath.

His hand came down hard on the table, knocking the textbook off with a loud _crack _as he grabbed the boy and dragged him to his office.

"What the hell-" Damon sputtered as Snape threw him into the room, flinching as the door slammed shut behind him. Snape was face to face with him now, looming over him, like a snake poised to strike.

"Where did they go?" Snape snarled.

Damon blinked, "Who?"

"_DO NOT PLAY INNOCENT, MALFOY." _Snape bellowed, "WHERE DID LUPIN TAKE MY DAUGHTER AND POTTER?"

The boy shrank back for once, seemingly genuinely afraid of the potions master, "Sir-"

Snape snapped.

Grabbing the boy's collar roughly, he ignored when Damon yelped and tried to rip free of his grasp, "Mr Malfoy, if you do not tell me where Professor Lupin has taken my child, I will ensure that you spend every holiday with your uncle until you graduate."

"You wouldn't." Damon choked, betrayal shining in his eyes.

"I would." Snape whispered back venomously. He released his hold and the boy fell to the floor, not bothering to meet the professor's eyes as he spoke.

"They went to meet Sirius Black, that's all I know."

Snape's chest constricted with pain, suddenly finding it very hard to breathe.

Forgetting all about his revenge on Lupin, Snape began racking his brain for an idea of where Lupin would have taken them to meet Black. He wouldn't try the Forest, not at night. It was too risky, even with two full grown wizards navigating. Snape seldom wandered in himself, although he'd never admit that he too feared what might lurk through the trees.

Hogsmeade was a good guess, but not practical. Unless Black was under Polyjuice, Snape couldn't think of anywhere Lupin would be able to deliver the children without drawing attention. Wizarding folk were sure to recognize the Children Who Lived. Unless…

There was one place in Hogsmeade no one dared tread near, the place that had been haunting Snape's dreams for the past three months. The Shrieking Shack was accessible from Hogwarts, and allowed the privacy and quiet Black and Lupin would need in order to carry out a plan. Not to mention it was their twisted childhood playground.

There was no time to alert the Headmaster or McGonagall. Snape had to go, and now.

Not bothering to acknowledge the boy on the floor, Snape quickly cast a Disillusionment Charm and ran through the castle to the entrance of the Whomping Willow.

Once through the tunnel, he immediately heard a familiar voice, "_What are you talking about? What was Snape?" _

_She was still alive. _

Quickly following the sound of the voice, he undid the Disillusionment Charm and crept behind the doorway, which revealed a tense looking Lupin, Ariel, Harry, and none other than Sirius Black, his dark eyes shining with rage. He had to wait until the right moment to come in and grab the children. Right now, it seemed as if the wolf and Black were arguing over something.

"He was a-"

"_SIRIUS!" _ the werewolf shouted, and Snape saw Ariel flinch in surprise. Black shut his mouth and clenched his jaw.

Snape took this momentary silence to make his entrance.

"I should have known."


	25. Chapter 25

Harry had never been so scared in his life, and that was saying something. The moment Quirrell had revealed Voldemort living on the back on his head didn't hold a candle to the expression of Snape's face. Ariel had turned deathly pale, her mouth opened in an "o" of surprise while Sirius and Lupin simply froze in place, although Lupin had raised his wand defensively.

"Ariel, Harry, get behind me." Snape commanded, his eyes trained on Sirius. Harry and Ariel exchanged a nervous glance but stayed where they were. "_Now_!" Snape snapped again, finally looking over at them.

"How dare you order them like that." Harry heard Sirius whisper. He turned to see his godfather glaring viciously at Snape, clenching and unclenching his hands angrily.

Lupin shot him a wild glare, "Sirius, _shut up_."

"I imagine that's the only intelligent statement you've ever made, Lupin." Snape sneered, his wand raised just as high as the dark arts professor's, "Do listen to your friend for once, Black."

Sirius resembled a bull getting ready to charge as Ariel hesitantly took a step forward, "Dad, please, you have to listen-"

"I said _get over here Ariel." _Snape hissed.

"No!" she shouted back, "Not until you hear-"

"_ARIEL-_" Red sparks were shooting out of the end of Snape's wand now.

"Go, children." Lupin said quickly, sensing that Snape was reaching the end of his already short rope. Harry and Ariel reluctantly walked over to Snape. Sirius looked as if he was watching their death march, his face twisting in and out of pure loathing and terror.

Once behind him, Snape threw his arm out protectively in front of them and took a step towards Lupin, "I trusted you, wolf."

"Severus, this isn't what you think." Lupin said, "Sirius isn't trying to hurt them. He came here to save them."

"Oh, yes- Ariel mentioned that little tidbit. From me, the big bad potions master?" Snape's tone sounded almost amused, but his expression was deadly.

"That's right you greasy-" Sirius took several steps forward as Lupin threw his arm out in front.

"Sirius, get _back_." Lupin barked.

Harry grabbed his sister's arm, who was trying to inch her way around Snape's, "Sir, if you would just listen, please-"

"You're the last person to be making threats right now, Black." Snape said, ignoring Harry, "You're without a wand, and I'm seconds away from placing your friend in a full body bind. Unless you'd rather die here and now, I suggest you shut up."

"No!" Ariel cried, ripping free of Snape's hold and darting to Lupin's side, "Sirius-"

"Get back here!" Snape yelled, although his eyes flashed with alarm as Sirius placed a protective hand on her shoulder.

It was Harry's turn to make a break for it, ducking under Snape's arm and rushing to stand in front of Sirius. Snape was beginning to look rather panicky, his eyes glued to Ariel as she reached an arm towards Lupin, easing his wand arm down.

"Can we please just calm down?" Harry asked, staring at his godfather and Snape, who were still poised to strike at any moment.

Lupin was slowly lowering his wand under Ariel's hand, who was reaching her other hand towards Snape. It was quiet as both men lowered their wands, except for the Sirius' heavy, haggard breathing behind Harry. He was a bit shocked that Snape was actually obliging, although he realized that he might not want to have his wand trained on Lupin while Ariel was standing in front of him.

"I'm not here to listen to your delusional tales, Black." Snape said, his jaw clenched, "My only concern is making sure the children are returned safely to the school. They've already told me of your supposed innocence, and I have to say, it's one of the better of all the ludicrous stories I've heard you spew."

Sirius' face was a mask of pure hatred, "I'd never hurt them. Take them to the castle and bring Dumbledore out here and I'll prove it to you. I would have never gone after Pettigrew if I'd known what would happen, that the Headmaster would place Ariel with _you_."

"How many times do I have to tell you this, Sirius?" Lupin said, exasperated, "Severus is _not _abusing Ariel or Harry. He's been protecting them this whole time. You cannot blame him for being wary when it comes to you. You've been in Azkaban all this time, never bothering to try and prove-"

"_He's trying to keep them from me now." _Sirius yelled.

"How dare you." Snape whispered venomously, "You take _my_ child from the safety of the castle to bring her to an abandoned building, and have the nerve to act as if _I'm _the villain?"

"_YOUR CHILD?" _Sirius was turning as red as Ron's hair.

"Severus, I've looked through Sirius' memories. He's more than innocent." Lupin replied quietly, "Once I realized there had been a terrible mistake, Ariel and Harry insisted they help-"

"You compromised their safety because _'they wanted to help_?'" Snape's nostrils were flaring now, "Black is a convicted murderer-"

"We had to do something!" Harry cut in, "We couldn't leave him to fend for himself."

"I've told the Headmaster again and again that you couldn't be trusted, and here's the proof." Snape turned to Lupin, the disgust in his eyes unmistakable, "I admit, I was even foolish enough to fall for it, thinking maybe you might actually _care_ about the wellbeing of your goddaughter and Harry. Never did I dream you'd have the nerve to use this as a hideout-"

"You fool." Lupin said softly, "Is a schoolboy grudge worth putting an innocent man back inside Azkaban?"

"Oh, he'll be lucky if the Dementors even consider that possibility." Snape spat.

Harry froze, "What does that mean?"

"It means that the Dementors have been ordered to perform the Kiss." Snape's eyes were looking straight at Ariel now as he raised his wand back up at Lupin, "I'm going to ensure they're safe and then deliver you to them." Thin, snakelike cords shot out of the end of Snape's want and constricted around Lupin as Ariel let out a horrible shriek. Sirius leaped forward to help his friend, but Snape pointed his wand right between his eyes, "Give me reason, and I swear I will."

"Dad, _let him go_!" Ariel screamed as she leaned down to pry the rope off of Lupin. Harry rushed forward and stood in front of Sirius, who had stopped dead in his tracks, hatred very plain on his face.

"You're as pathetic as always," Sirius snarled from behind Harry, "Despite your brilliant mind, you're still coming to the wrong conclusions."

"I've always been right about you." Snape roared back, "Ever since the night you led me here to kill me-"

"Oh come off it Snivellus!" Sirius had begun yelling back, Harry being the only thing keeping him from charging the man, "I wasn't trying to fucking kill you, I was trying to teach you a lesson."

"_LET HIM GO, DAD!" _Ariel shot her father a horrible look, still struggling to untie the professor.

Snape ignored her, "History repeats itself, you imbecile. You tried to kill me then, you killed James all those years ago, and now you're trying to kill Ariel and Potter-"

"_THAT'S RICH, COMING FROM A DEATH EATER." _Sirius shrieked, "_YOU ACT AS IF YOU DON'T KNOW PETTIGREW WAS ONE OF YOU."_

The room fell into shocked silence at Sirius' statement. Snape lowered his wand, his face contorting into a mixture of rage and pure fear as he whipped his head back and forth between Ariel and Sirius. Ariel had turned to stare at Sirius, her expression murderous. It seemed as if she had changed sides.

"_What _did you just call my father?" she whispered, her voice daring Sirius to repeat himself.

Snape waved his wand and the ropes suddenly fell from Lupin. The professor began coughing as he threw himself off the floor, grabbing a restraining hand on Ariel's shoulder.

"You're _father_ was a Death Eater." Sirius repeated, keeping his eyes trained on Snape. There was unmistakable triumph in his voice as he watched Snape's expression twist in pain.

"Sirius." Lupin's voice throbbed with anger as he slowly pulled Ariel away from him.

Harry could tell by Snape's expression that Sirius had just revealed something he hadn't been planning on sharing for a very long time.

Ariel, however, didn't seem to be seeing the horrified expressions around her.

"-_how dare you accuse him of something like that. You've been_-" she was trying to wriggle out of Lupin's grasp furiously.

"Ariel." Lupin chided softly, pulling the girl to him, "You need to calm down."

"_Calm down?"_

"Yes," Lupin tightened his grip, maneuvering her towards Snape, "Go stand with your father."

Harry felt Sirius place a hand of his shoulder from behind him. "Why did you say that?" Harry whispered to Sirius as Ariel grudgingly took her spot next to Snape, who was looking deathly pale.

"Because it's true." Sirius whispered back, "I won't have either of you raised by the likes of _that_."

"But- but he's reformed, he's changed-"

Sirius snorted, "So he says."

_Snape? A Death Eater? Was it even possible? _Dumbledore would never have let him have Ariel if that was the case. Snape had made it clear that _he _wanted _them _to steer clear of those who had somehow dodged Azkaban, like Lucius Malfoy. Harry briefly remembered Ariel telling him that during her first year Snape had actually warned her to stay away from Damon because his _mother_ was locked up in Azkaban for freely admitting she was a supporter of Voldemort.

But then again, Dumbledore had left Harry at the mercy of the Dursleys.

"You promised you'd do something about this, Remus." Sirius said, glaring at the professor.

Snape's wand was back up, "Oh, _I'm _about to do something-"

"_Enough!" _Harry yelled, getting quite fed up with all the bickering. If he and Ariel could find it in themselves to listen to Sirius, why the bloody hell couldn't Snape?

Everyone in the room was looking at him now, surprised at his outburst. "Can we _please_ stop arguing? We're not going to get anywhere if we just keep screaming at each other." He crossed his arms over his chest tightly and turned to give Sirius and Snape a knowing look.

Sirius nodded in his direction while Snape grimaced, "Harry, the Dementors will sense him as soon as we leave this tunnel. Even if I wanted to, and I assure you, I have no desire to, let Black inside the castle, let alone see the Headmaster. We wouldn't get farther than a centimeter."

"Then I'll go and get him." Harry said calmly, which surprised him. He was feeling rather paralyzed at the moment with the large amount of information that had been revealed within the past several minutes. He wondered if he could force himself to move if Snape said yes.

"No," Lupin said quickly, "If anyone should go, it should be me. I'll go and get the Headmaster."

Snape gave a cold laugh, "Do you think I'm daft, wolf? You think I don't know the second you're out of my sights you'll take off like the coward you are?"

Sirius lunged forward as Harry held him back. Lupin's eyes narrowed, "I would never abandon them."

"Oh? Then do tell me, where were you twelve years ago?" Snape sneered.

"_Dad_." Ariel hissed, grabbing his wand arm tightly, "_Stop_."

Before anyone could say anything else, a cold descended upon the room that Harry found disturbingly familiar. Almost as if the happiness was being sucked straight out of the air…

Harry suddenly felt as he did when Snape had first appeared at the tunnel entrance.

Snape cursed loudly as he whirled around to face the opening, "The Dementors have found their target."

Sirius turned stark white, "Get Harry and Ariel out of here, Remus."

"What about you?" Harry cried, the room getting colder by the second.

"I- I'll have to make a run for it." Sirius whipped her head around, eyes locking on the door in the adjacent room.

"Severus," Lupin grabbed Snape's arm, who recoiled in disgust, "Take them, make sure they're safe-"

Snape did not respond, but instead, motioned for Harry to come to him, reaching for Ariel at the same time.

"NO!" Ariel yelled, gripping Lupin's arm tightly, "I'm not leaving without them!"

"Neither am I." Harry said, taking his place by his godfather's side.

"Kids, I'm ordering you," Sirius gritted his teeth, "to go with _Snape_. The Dementors won't let you-"

Harry was going to argue again when the first Dementor came swooping through the entrance, nearly knocking Snape off his feet. The potions master quickly threw himself in front of Harry and Ariel, who were standing in front of Sirius. Lupin took his place by Snape's side, both of their wands raised.

"Run!" Remus yelled, but Harry and Ariel stayed planted.

Three more Dementors had entered the room and were now swarming the five of them. Harry felt himself become dizzy, steadying himself by grabbing his sister's hand, who squeezed it in response.

"_Expecto Patronum!" _Remus bellowed, and a great, white light shot out from the end of his wand, followed by a great silver wolf, who howled and proceeded to attack the Dementors. The hooded figures shied away from the light as if it were acid, and shot back up through the tunnel.

The cold was beginning to become unbearable for him. He was beginning to quiver and noticed that Ariel was behaving similarly, her eyes blinking rapidly as if she was trying to fight off sleep. Harry could hear the familiar screams again, as he struggled to focus on his hand in his sister's, but felt his eyes rolling back into his head as the darkness engulfed him.

"_You make me sick, you fucking-"_

"_Sirius!"_

"_-repulsive piece of shite."_

"_If my daughter was awake right now, I'd be hexing you until you bled for using such deplorable language in front of her."_

"_She's NOT your daughter. I'm taking-"_

"_OVER MY DEAD BODY, BLACK."_

"_I'll gladly arrange that-"_

"_She's MINE."_

Ariel could feel a headache coming on already. The familiar voices screeching at one another were already driving her insane, and she hadn't opened her eyes. She wasn't sure she wanted to. The last thing she remembered was Sirius ordering them to go with her father, the Dementors, Harry-

_Harry._

She bolted upright, her eyes flying open and scanning the room for her brother. To her relief, he was in the cot next to her, fast asleep. Lupin was sitting next to him, his hand brushing Harry's unruly black hair out of his face.

"_Ariel!" _a chorus of voices cried. Ariel tore her eyes from her sleeping brother to see her father, Sirius, Dumbledore, McGonagall, and to her surprise, Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic standing in front of the two beds.

Sirius was the first one to her bedside before she could blink, "Are you alright? How are you feeling? Do you feel sick? Nauseous? Dizzy? Are you-"

"Slow down, Sirius." Lupin almost snapped, although his eyes were wide with worry as he looked at Ariel. She was grateful he had said something, her head was spinning from all the questions.

"M'fine." She mumbled, sitting up a little straighter to look at Sirius and Lupin, "Wha- what happened? The Dementors-"

"Are gone, my dear." Ariel turned to see Dumbledore looking at her, his familiar blue eyes twinkling merrily, "Professor Snape and Professor Lupin carried you here after you passed out."

"You were out cold." Sirius said, worry shining in his eyes, "I've never seen someone affected by them so badly."

Ariel's head was swimming as she noticed that something was off. Sirius wasn't in his usual rags, but was instead, clothed in fresh, clean, dark robes. Fudge was also in the room and was acting as if nothing was odd, although he did have a look on his face that suggested he smelled something foul. There also seemed to be a significant lack of Aurors and Dementors, seeing as the psychotic Azkaban escapee was sitting in their midst.

"You- you're okay?" Ariel asked, "Why aren't you- what?" She had never been so confused in her life.

Ariel didn't think Sirius could look any more concerned than he already did, but the lines in his forehead deepened even more, "I'm fine, Ariel. Snivell- _Snape _and Albus looked through my memories when we brought you to the hospital wing. They validated my story and then contacted the Aurors and the Minister himself." He gave a gentle smile, "I'm a free man now, thanks to you and Harry."

A grin broke out on her face as Lupin snorted a laugh, "Free?"

"Free." He confirmed, giving her hand a squeeze.

"And Harry? He's gonna be okay?" she shot her brother, who was still unconscious, a concerned look.

"He'll be fine." Lupin said, finally standing up, "He needs to rest anyway, it's been a long night."

Relief was flooding through Ariel like a dam had broken in her chest. Sirius was _free_. There was no more worrying about where he was or when she would see him again. She couldn't wait for Harry to wake up and hear that his traitor, Death Eater-

_Death Eater_. Ariel whipped her head around to look at her father, who was standing next to Dumbledore, looking very stiff and poorly masking his emotions. She could tell he was trying to look stone-faced, but the fear and panic was leaking through. Part of her wondered why he wasn't sitting at her bedside like he always did when she found herself in the infirmary, while the other half flinched slightly as his eyes locked with hers.

There was no way he was a Death Eater. _No bloody way. _

Snape had never talked about the war, but from what she did know, he'd been a part of something called the Order of the Phoenix, a secret society that was led by Dumbledore himself. Her parents had been a part of it as well, which now, sounded a bit confusing. If James Potter had been a part of the Order, why would Snape? It was probably smart to assume that Lupin and Sirius were also members, so why would Snape join a movement that aligned himself with his greatest enemies?

But- but this was her _father_. Surely Dumbledore wouldn't have let Snape adopt her if he had even the slightest doubt she could be put in jeopardy. And Snape had never, _ever _been cruel or violent towards her. Hell, he'd never even given her a spanking as a kid, even if she'd really deserved it. He'd been patient, kind, loving, although he wasn't always quick to show it. No, there was no way Snape had been a Death Eater. Not her father, no way.

"Dad?" she called, her confusion clear in her voice.

Sirius' made a face as Snape made his way to the other side of her cot, sitting hesitantly down beside her. His behavior was thoroughly perplexing her now.

"Are you okay?" Ariel asked before Snape could open his mouth.

He looked taken aback, "Am _I _okay?"

"Yeah, you- you don't look too good." She admitted.

He was shaking his head in what she could only guess was disbelief, "Child, _you're _the one who's hurt. I should be asking _you-"_

Sirius made a growling sound, causing Snape to cut off and glare, "Did you have something to say, Black?"

"Just answer her question," Sirius snapped back, "Don't chastise her."

"I wasn't chastising her, you idiot." Snape was clenching the bed sheets tightly with his hand, "I was assuring my daughter than she should be worrying about her own health instead of mine, which she wouldn't have to worry about, I might add, if _you _hadn't put her in this situation."

"Now, now gentlemen." Fudge said tiredly, "Let's not start this row again. The girl is clearly exhausted, let's now stress her out anymore with your petty quarrels."

"Agreed." McGonagall said tersely, "The both of you should know better than this. You're only concern at the moment should be Mr. and Ms Potter."

Both men glared at the tense witch for a moment. "You're right." Sirius agreed finally as he stood up, "Once they're with me, we won't have to worry about this sort of thing anyway. There's no point in arguing anymore."

The relief was slowly depleting with every word Sirius spoke. Ariel shot a look to her father, who was staring daggers as Sirius sat on Harry's cot.

"Well," Fudge broke through the tension in the room, "I'd better be getting back. Hopefully this story can still make the morning Prophet before they print that ludicrous story about Amelia Bones running against me in the next election." He turned to Dumbledore and gave him a long look, "Albus, do sort this out quietly. I don't want custody trials on the front page of the paper for the next six months."

Dumbledore nodded solemnly as Fudge left the room quickly. Ariel wished she was leaving with him, dreading the conversation that would ensue once he was out of earshot.

"How are you feeling, my dear?" Dumbledore asked once the hospital wing doors closed behind Fudge.

"Fine, sir." Ariel inwardly groaned. Why couldn't they just get down to it, like ripping off a band aid? The energy in the room was starting to make her insides curl with anxiety. "But-" she started, "I'm feeling rather confused."

Dumbledore nodded, "I've been told there were several words exchanged tonight that you may have found puzzling."

She felt Snape stiffen. He seemed to be performing a remarkable impression of a basilisk as he leaned towards Sirius. Ariel got the feeling that she might be the one thing keeping her father from landing himself a life sentence in Azkaban.

"How did you know where we were?" she asked, tugging at Snape, feeling desperate to bring her father's attention away from homicide.

His expression softened a bit at her urgent tone, only to turn his attention to Lupin and assume a glare that wasn't much better, "Your godfather forget to take an important potion. Of course _I _remembered as I was on my way to apparate to the meeting. When I discovered that neither you nor Lupin were in his quarters, I asked several of your friends of your whereabouts, where I was informed your godfather had taken you and your brother to see _him_." He motioned with his head to Sirius, who curled his lip.

Ariel was racking her brain for a reason any of her friends would have to tell her father a secret that could have ended in the death or imprisonment of her brother's godfather. Whoever it was, she was going to kill them.

"Who told you?" Ariel asked, trying to sound as uninterested as possible.

Snape wasn't falling for it, "You mustn't blame him, Ariel, he-"

_Ah, so it was a he_. "Who was it, Dad?"

Sirius hissed at the title as Ariel watched a flash of guilt appear in Snape's eyes, "Mr. Malfoy."

There was a sting of betrayal in her chest as she racked her brain for a reason as to why Damon would ever reveal such an important secret. She certainly knew that if he had put her in this situation, she would have fought Snape tooth and nail in order to keep this secret. Damon wasn't easily swayed, he _was_ a Slytherin after all. They knew how to keep a straight face and hide their emotions. He'd done it plenty of times in the past. What was different? Maybe he genuinely thought Ariel and Harry _were_ in trouble. That was the only conclusion Ariel could come to, unless of course, someone had threatened-

Before Ariel could ask what form of torture Snape had used on her friend, Sirius cut in, "Malfoy? You're friends with a _Malfoy_?"

"Damon Malfoy, formerly Lestrange." Lupin clarified, stepping forward.

"Bella's kid?" Sirius whipped his head to look at Snape so fast Ariel thought it might fly off, "You let her around _that crackpot's spawn?"_

"He didn't at first," Ariel interjected as Snape opened his mouth, no doubt to insult Sirius again, "but Damon isn't anything like Bellatrix, or even his uncle's family. He hates them."

"I don't like it." Sirius replied disapprovingly.

"He's not aspiring to be some Death Eater." She snapped back, getting fed up with Sirius fighting everything she said, "He's on our side."

The room went silent at the word _Death Eater. _Sirius' lip had curled back in what Ariel could only describe as pure abhorrence, while Snape looked very out of his element. Usually he kept his emotions well under control, maintaining his rigid, solemn composure. Right now, he was eyeing Ariel as if he was expecting her to spontaneously combust.

He wasn't a Death Eater, he never was, and he never would be. He was her Dad.

But she had to ask.

"Why did you call my Dad a Death Eater back in the Shrieking Shack?" she asked Sirius tonelessly.

McGonagall breathed in sharply, her expression murderous, "You did _what, _Mr. Black?"

"I told her the truth." Sirius sounded as if he was discussing the weather.

McGonagall was turning a lovely shade of purple as Dumbledore, who looked very grave, put a hand on her shoulder, "Minerva-"

"Have you no _conscious_?" She spat. Lupin was looking a bit relieved that he wasn't the one that had to yell at Sirius again.

Sirius blinked, "Do _I _not have a conscious? You let _him _take her."

Dumbledore motioned for Poppy to bring over a calming drought for McGonagall, who was sputtering so much Ariel thought she resembled a Muggle sprinkler.

After downing the drought, McGonagall took several deep breaths before speaking, "I think we should leave Severus alone with Ariel for a few minutes. It's been a long night and I'm sure they'd like to talk- don't you agree, Albus?"

"Yes, my dear." Dumbledore shot Snape a kind look, "I believe they have much to discuss. Come, Remus, Sirius, we have arrangements to make for the two of you."

Sirius opened his mouth to protest, _again_, but to Ariel's relief, Dumbledore gave him a very stern look, causing him to clamp his mouth shut and stand up. Giving Harry one last look, Sirius, Lupin, Dumbledore, and McGonagall left the room silently, leaving father, daughter, and a still sleeping Harry.

"I can't believe him," Ariel said once the doors had closed, "How could he just _say _something like that? You would think he'd be more sensitive to throwing out accusations like that, especially-"

"Ariel-_"_

"- after he spent all those years in Azkaban, being wrongly accused of being a Death Eater, for-"

"Ariel-"

"- being tortured for a crime he didn't commit. And you're my _dad. _Why doesn't he get that it's hurtful to me? He acts as if I don't even love-"

"_Ariel_." Snape's harsh tone cut her off. She flinched, surprised he had interrupted so roughly, but looked up at him with wide eyes, "Yes?"

He was looking even worse now. There was anguish clearly written all over his face, and Ariel couldn't deny it any longer; Sirius had been telling the truth.

"You- you couldn't have." She whispered, "It's impossible."

"Ariel, I need you to listen to me carefully." Snape said. Taking her hand in his own, he took a deep breath, "When I was eighteen years old, I joined the Dark Lord as a Death Eater."

Ariel felt as if she had just been slapped in the face, "Wh-what?"

"I was- I was very foolish." He whispered, "I had nothing but my potions mastery and a hunger to be accepted, and the Dark Lord thought I would fit perfectly into his ranks. I was very vulnerable, you see- I had no friends, no family, no one to turn to. I thought that joining the Death Eaters would be my only chance at greatness, at having some kind of family." Snape gulped as Ariel felt her bottom lip beginning to tremble, "About two years into it, however, I realized that I had made a horrible mistake and went to the Headmaster for help. He recruited me and I became a spy for the Order of the Phoenix, during which time I became the potions professor here. After you and your brother defeated the Dark Lord, the Headmaster cleared my name and asked me to take you. He trusted no one else with your life."

Ariel simply stared at him, not knowing what to say. The remorse was very clear in his voice, but she couldn't wrap her head around it.

"Were- were you on Voldemort's side when he came for Harry and I?" Ariel couldn't stop her voice from shaking.

A fresh wave of pain flashed across his face, "No- no I had changed sides before then."

"Why?" Ariel asked.

The hurt was replaced with puzzlement, "Why?"

"Why did you change sides?"

He didn't answer her. Instead, he reached a hand towards her, which she quickly inched away from.

And then her barrier broke, and she was reduced to nothing but tears.

At first, she wasn't exactly sure why she was crying. Actually, she was surprised she _could _cry. Ariel had felt rather hollow since Snape had stepped through the tunnel entrance, like an invisible hand had just reached inside her chest and pulled out her insides. But the confession that her father _had _been a Death Eater was the final straw. Yes, he had reformed, and yes, she was convinced it was genuine, but the fact that at one point Snape had fought side by side with _Lord Voldemort _was enough to make her sick.

She supposed that not everyone who had been a Death Eater was necessarily _evil_. I mean, there were kids like Draco, who Damon always insisted was just parroting his father, who knew nothing else but what he was raised on. It was understandable, but not justifiable. Snape certainly wasn't _evil. _Maybe a bit prickly around the edges, but he was a good person, a good father. And Snape had seen his wrongdoings before the war ended, surely that proved his remorse. Whatever Sirius had been trying to get out was pointless. Dumbledore trusted Snape. If that wasn't the case, then Ariel would never have been entrusted to him. Whatever dangers she was subjected to, Snape had-

_Wait._

Voldemort was still out there, that much was made clear last year with Quirrell's attempt to steal the Stone. But what would happen once he returned? Snape's name was cleared and was most likely known throughout the wizarding world as a blood traitor. If and when Voldemort returned, wouldn't that mean there would be a bounty of his head? Somehow, Ariel imagined that Voldemort wouldn't just let Snape off the hook and let him do as he pleased. No, he'd most likely move heaven and earth to get to Snape, and then Ariel and Harry.

The thought was enough to make Ariel begin to hyperventilate.

"I-I'm sorry." She sobbed, thoroughly embarrassed she was wailing like a baby.

Hands were on her face, shushing her as she moved closer to the comfort of her father's figure. She couldn't see anything through the waterfall of tears, but began to steady herself when her Dad's arms wrapped around her hesitantly.

It took what seemed ages for Ariel to finally compose herself, "W-why are you acting like this?"

She looked up to see Snape staring down at her, absolutely bewildered, "Like what?"

"Like you-you're afraid to touch me."

His eyes grew rather wide at the end of her sentence, "I- I thought-"

Ariel had never seen her father stumble over his words before. It was almost comical, she realized, letting out a little laugh. Snape was starting to look panicky as his arms tightened around her, although his eyes narrowed a bit, "Why on earth are you laughing?"

"Because you look just as confused as I was." She stifled another giggle through her tears.

He arched an eyebrow, his expression relaxing dramatically, "I'm mystified as to why you're not horrified by my presence."

_Merlin, _she didn't things to become any more confusing than they were. "Why would I be scared of you?" Ariel asked, raising a brow back at him, "You _were_ a Death Eater. I know Dumbledore trusts you, and you've never given a reason not to." She shrugged as she wiped away her remaining tears, "Try not to be that mad at Sirius though. I see now that he's just terrified for us. If you want- I'll talk to him-"

"Ariel-" her father's voice cut her off, sounding oddly strangled. She looked up to see him looking at her as if she had three heads.

"What?"

"Aren't you- Ariel, this _should _bother you."

"Well, it doesn't."

He was quiet for a moment, "Why?"

"Why doesn't it bother me?"

"Yes."

She shrugged.

"A verbal response, if you please."

"Doesn't everyone deserve a second chance?" Ariel looked up at him, perplexed as to why he was so concerned with her reaction.

He simply stared at her, looking absolutely flabbergasted. Instead of answering her question, he asked his own, "So why were you crying?"

"I- I was scared." She admitted.

The mask of pain was back, "Ariel, child, I would never hurt you-"

"No-" Ariel shook her head, "Not _of _you, _for _you."

Dumbstruck, Snape finally removed her from his lap so he could turn her around, "_For me?"_

"When Voldemort returns-"

"Don't say the name."

"- he'll know, if he doesn't already, that you adopted me and betrayed him before he died or whatever." Ariel said, ignoring his reproach about the name, "Voldemort's going to want you dead more than anyone."

Snape flinched a bit at that, but began shaking his head, "No, Ariel."

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion, "What?"

"You are _not _to worry about that, do you understand me? That is the last thing you should be thinking about right now."

"But-"

"So help me, Ariel, I will make you write six hundred lines of 'I will not worry about unforeseen circumstances.' _I _am the adult; _I _concern myself with _your _wellbeing. Not the other way around." His voice, although commanding, shook a bit at the very end.

Ariel decided now wasn't the time to argue this subject and made her way back into his lap. She may be thirteen, but right now, she was perfectly content was imagining she was three.

"You can't make me." She mumbled into his robes.

"I can most certainly make you write six hundred lines."

Well, maybe now was the time to argue this point.

"Not that. I mean the worrying. You can't drill something like that out of someone. It would be like trying to convince Sirius you're a good guy by making him write 'Severus Snape is not a Death Eater.' You can't convince him by repeating it over and over. He'll see in time."

It was several minutes before her father replied, "You think too highly of me, child."

She shook her head into his chest, "You know what?"

"Mm?"

"I think you're the bravest man I've ever known." She closed her eyes, allowing her increasing drowsiness to takeover.

Soft hands brought something cold to her lips, which she realized was a vial. She guessed it was Dreamless Sleep, because within seconds she could feel her eyelids getting heavier and her breathing slow. Her head hadn't stopped spinning since she'd woken up, almost as if she was making her way through a thick fog, and was relieved when everything was reduced to nothing but darkness once more.

For the first time in twelve years, Severus Snape found himself fighting the urge to cry. The lump in his throat was becoming rather painful, as well as the stinging in his eyes. He hadn't cried since he was told Lily was dead and the idea of breaking down in tears was foreign to him after all this time. Snape wanted nothing more than to fly back into the infirmary and hold the child in his arms forever.

A part of him wondered if he should be at all concerned with how she had taken the fact he'd been a Death Eater. Obviously she had limited knowledge as to what that meant, which he supposed was a large part of the reason she had being accepting of it and his role in the Order. He was almost certain it was going to be a repeat of the day Lily had stopped speaking to him, the day he lost her to James Potter, only this time he'd be losing Ariel to Sirius Black and the mongrel.

_The bravest man she ever knew_- the words should have filled his chest with bliss, but instead, he found himself trying not to cry out at the horrible irony. _Brave? _The only reason he had come to Dumbledore was to protect Lily- out of fear- for something _he _did.

He couldn't harp on this now, not tonight. No- now he had to go and face a newly liberated Sirius Black and fight for custody of his child. _His _child. Snape knew it would be a cold day in hell before Dumbledore let Black take Ariel, but the thought that Black would fight tooth and nail to get her was enough to cause Snape's blood to boil. Ariel- and Harry, for that matter- wouldn't stand a chance against the Dark Lord if the wolf and the moron raised her. That was too much to handle at the moment. He may have lost Lily to the Marauders, but it would be a cold day in hell before he let them lead Ariel to her death.

It was with this notion in mind that Snape pulled himself together to face Black in the Headmaster's office. He had every intention of making Black squirm and shriek as much as possible as he threw open the office door with a dramatic _BANG._

Dumbledore was sitting at his desk, hands clasped tightly in front of him. He looked as if he was deep in thought as Snape entered, looking up to acknowledge the potion's professor with a small smile. Lupin was leaning against the Headmaster's desk, looking dead on his feet. It seemed almost as if he had been crying, but Snape quickly waved away that idea. The wolf was never remorseful.

McGonagall was at Dumbledore's other side, looking quite catlike, her eyes narrowed to tiny slits. Snape thought for a fleeting moment that she was glaring at _him, _but soon realized her target was Black.

Speaking of the twit, he was leaning against a bookcase by the window, attempting to look as calm and cool as ever, but failing. Snape could tell her was tense as way, shrinking into the case against McGonagall's glower.

"Severus," Dumbledore said, leaning back in his chair, "I'm surprised you've decided to join us so quickly. I thought you'd linger with Ariel a while longer."

"She fell asleep." He replied quietly, "The day's events seemed to have taken a great emotional toll on her."

McGonagall's head snapped over to him, her murderous expression gone. Instead, she looked almost sympathetic, "Is she alright?"

"I believe so." Snape said flatly.

"What does that mean?" Black heaved himself from the bookcase, his eyebrows furrowing in concern, "Why? What happened after we left?"

"She took the news of my past extraordinarily well." Snape said, shooting a smug look in Black's direction, "I wasn't expecting such a reaction from her- at least not in her current state."

"Did Harry wake up?"

"He did not."

The room was quiet for a long time. Lupin ran his hand through his hair nervously as McGonagall intensified her glower on Black.

"I can't begin to comprehend what you were thinking, Sirius." McGonagall hissed.

Black's eyes widened, "What _I _was thinking. _You let the greasy git adopt her_."

"That's not what I meant, you idiot!" she snapped, "How could you reveal something like that so bluntly in front of them? Where you even considering that ramifications of your little confession. Severus is the only father she has ever known, and in a few, careless words, you might have ruined that for her."

"I can't ruin something that was never there." Black snarled.

Snape whirled around, wand at the ready. "How dare you." He thundered, "You've met her a grand total of two times and you think you have all this figured out?" Black had leaned forward and Snape took this opportunity to grab his collar, bringing his face nose to nose with Black's, "You lure my daughter and her brother out of the safety of Hogwarts, risk them being murdered by Dementors, and then carelessly throw out accusations in an attempt to turn her against me, and yet, you have the audacity to accuse _me _of being an unfit parent?"

"She deserves to know the truth about those she places her trust in." Black spat, ripping out of Snape's hold, "Why the hell would _you _want her? You hated James more than anything- why the fuck would you take in their kid? Out of the kindness of your big ol' Death Eater heart?"

"I was _asked._" Snape shot back, "Dumbledore believed I was the only one adequate enough to raise her."

Black snorted arrogantly, "Care to entertain me as to why?"

"Because," Dumbledore began loudly, standing up from his chair, "Severus, while being talented in the Dark Arts and Charms, was someone I could trust to raise her like any other child. While yes, she needed to be somewhere heavily warded for the first few years of her life due to rogue Death Eaters, I was not about to let some Ministry family take her. They would have paraded her around as if she was some kind of war trophy, and, correct me if I'm wrong, that's no way to raise a child. He's brought Ariel up to be a very talented, kind, young witch."

This seemed to finally get through to the moron, or at least Dumbledore's tone did. The wizard fell into a chair opposite Dumbledore's desk and ran his hands through his thick, dirty hair, "I just need to know that she's safe and happy."

Lupin sighed loudly, "Sirius, how many times do I have to say it? I've spoken to Ariel numerous times and watched how Severus is with her for the past three months, and I couldn't imagine there being a healthier relationship. She obviously loves him a great deal."

"And does he?" Black's eyes snapped to Snape.

"What kind of question is that?" Snape hissed, although he felt his face growing hot at all the eyes in the room staring at him.

"Just answer the question, Snivellus." Black sneered.

Snape's eyes nearly popped out of his head from the intensity of the glare he was giving Black. It had been years since he'd been called that blasted name, but it still brought back all the humiliation he'd suffered in school at the hands of Potter and Black.

"Stop acting so childish, Sirius." Lupin barked, "This isn't Hogwarts anymore. Severus took Ariel in when we couldn't, show a little respect." The look on the werewolf's face almost impressed Snape.

Black resembled a child who had just been turned over his parent's knee as he hung his head, "You didn't answer the question, _Severus_."

Snape contemplated not answering. After all, he didn't owe it to him. Everyone in the room knew what the answer was. But that would mean he'd be stooping to Black's maturity level, which was significantly lower than a first year Gryffindor's. And Snape wanted to get back to Ariel as soon as humanly possible.

"Yes." Came his curt reply.

Black rolled his eyes, "Do you care to expand?"

He blinked, "Expand? You asked me if-"

"I know what I asked you." Black snapped, "But what specifically do you like about her. It's pretty obvious you don't like kids, so what's different with her?"

The twinkling in Dumbledore's eyes was almost blinding Snape as he turned a shade of red he didn't think was possible for him, "I raised her, you imbecile. I did not have the immense pleasure of bringing up the rest of the dunderheads I teach."

Black was shooting daggers at him now, "Can you really not think of one thing?"

"Perhaps," Snape glowered, "You should be worrying about your actual godchild's previous home instead of his sister's."

Black stared, "What the hell are you talking about?"

Snape's eyes narrowed at Dumbledore, "What were you discussing with him while I was with Ariel? Hippogriffs?"

The Headmaster gave him a puzzled look, "I don't understand what you mean, Severus."

Snape had to restrain himself from slamming his head into the nearby wall. _Why _hadn't that been the very first thing the old coot told the boy's bloody godfather? _Why _did these things always fall on his shoulders?

Pinching the bridge of his nose tightly, Snape forced himself to speak, "About the abuse, Albus."

"_ABUSE?" _Black had jumped out of his chair, "_WHAT ABUSE? THE MUGGLES-"_

"Yes, Black, the Muggles." Snape spat impatiently, "Instead of worrying about my daughter and how I treat her, did you ever take into consideration how Petunia Dursley might have reacted to her sister's magical child?"

Black's, as well as the werewolf's, eyes were filling with tears as Snape spoke.

"No," Black whispered brokenly, "Harry- how-"

"It's true, Sirius." Dumbledore said gently, "But I assure you, it's been dealt with. The moment we found out, we put an immediate end to it."

"Why didn't he ever tell me?" Lupin shook his head in disbelief, "How could I have not known…"

"Is- is he alright now? I mean- has it been dealt with? Has he had someone to talk to?" Black demanded.

McGonagall, Dumbledore, and Snape exchanged a look.

"He has-" Snape said slowly, "Been rather hesitant in opening up. We were informed about the abuse by accident, actually-"

"Accident?" Lupin asked, "How did you exactly find out about something this serious? Why didn't you know earlier?"

"My informant never informed me of anything wrong prior to two years ago." Dumbledore said softly.

"So what? One day this _informant_ woke up and realized something was wrong and finally decided to say something?" Black was gripping the arms of his chair so tightly that his hands were turning white.

"It wasn't the informant." Snape said stiffly, "It was Ariel."

Lupin and Black's eyebrows hit their foreheads, "_Ariel?" _Lupin asked.

Dumbledore sighed and quickly informed the two of the connection through their scars. Snape was trying very hard not to look bored, as this meeting pertained to his child, but it was rather dull listening to the same information he and the Headmaster had been discussing for month's now. He wished Dumbledore had told Black all of this before he had arrived.

Lupin looked as if he had witnessed the death of someone close to him towards the end of Dumbledore's speech, while Black had buried his face in his hands.

"…and so," Dumbledore was saying, "It seems that Harry and Ariel have not been on… good terms since she told him we'd known, although I do know that he has discussed it with Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley."

"Why hasn't an adult spoken to him about it?" Black's face was still in his hands, his voice muffled.

"I have." McGonagall stepped forward, "And Severus has said that if the boy ever decided to approach him about it he'd be more than willing to help the boy- but I believe the fact that he's Ariel's father has discouraged him."

That was news to Snape, "Potter- I mean Harry- has spoken to you, Minerva?" Snape asked.

She nodded, "Several times. He's coping rather well actually. I think the boy's magic is the only thing that kept him grounded. He doesn't seem to have any lasting physical or mental scars, but-."

"He'll have me to help him." Black finally lifted his head up, "I'm going to be there for him now. I'm going to give him the proper family he deserves."

Dumbledore cleared his throat loudly, "Sirius, while I understand that you are the boy's godfather and care about him a great deal, I can assure you that Harry will no longer be in any sort of danger while he is under the Muggle's care."

Four heads spun to look at the old wizard incredulously.

"While he is under their care?" McGonagall whispered, anger rising in her voice, "Albus- you can't seriously be suggesting that Harry go back to them."

Snape was glaring at the man so hard he thought he might drive a hole through his head.

"That is precisely what I mean." Dumbledore said, "The blood wards there are the only thing keeping Harry safe."

"So then what about this past summer?" Snape demanded, "Why did you allow the boy to stay with me if you thought he wasn't safe?"

Dumbledore shook his head, "After the children defeated Voldemort last year," the entire room flinched at the name, "I knew that he would not try to seek vengeance so soon. Possessing Quirrell and attacking the children took a great deal of power out of him, so much so I wouldn't doubt that he is still recuperating from the ordeal. However, as all of you, except Sirius of course, know, I believe Voldemort will eventually rise to power again. It is an inevitable, horrible truth. Harry must be under the protection of the blood wards while he is not in school."

"And be returned to the place where he was treated like nothing but a piece of shite?" Black sprang up, "I can protect him from whatever's out there! We can put up wards-"

Dumbledore was shaking his head before Black was finished speaking, "It won't be enough, my boy."

"Albus," Snape started through gritted teeth, "While I understand that he is safest with those… _people_, and I use the term lightly, I don't see how you can allow him to return there after spending a summer with his sister. Being told that he has to return to his aunt's home every summer until the Dark Lord is defeated would shatter him."

"And Voldemort hasn't been resurrected yet!" Lupin jumped in, "Surely Harry could spend his holidays with Sirius, Severus, and I until the time comes. And even then, we could stay with him-"

"They couldn't be safer with the three of us!" Black declared.

Snape froze, "Are you two… suggesting that- that we spend the summer holiday with the children- _together?"_

"Exactly." Black nodded.

Snape was contemplating how many calming droughts he could take before he overdosed. Or maybe how many it would take _to _overdose. Death suddenly seemed far more welcoming than spending two entire months with the _Remus Lupin _and _Sirius bloody Black_.

To his horror, Dumbledore was looking rather thoughtful now, "Well, I hadn't thought of that. With Severus aiding the two of you, with the security of the lake house-"

"Albus-"

"-the five of you should be well protected. Of course, I'll have to-"

"_ALBUS!" _Snape's face was twisting in and out of utter loathing and revulsion.

Dumbledore met Snape's horrified gaze with that ridiculous twinkling in his blue eyes, "Yes, Severus?"

"You- you can't be suggesting that we all spend the holidays _together_. In the _same house._ For _two months_."

The Headmaster blinked, "I believe that's exactly what Remus and Sirius meant." He looked at the two other men, "Am I incorrect?"

"No, sir." Black flashed Severus an evil grin.

Snape's insides felt as if they were being slowly cooked, "Not an hour ago, you were claiming that I was a free Death Eater hell-bent on exacting my sick, psychotic revenge on James Potter' children." Snape yelled, "And now you want to be bloody roommates?"

Black shrugged, "If it means we get to be with our godchildren, then I'll deal. Besides, I'll be able to make sure you're _not _doing anything wrong."

The window was certainly close enough to throw him out of, but Snape was too slow to act. McGonagall grabbed his arm just as he was raising his wand, "Severus, think of Ariel and Harry."

"I am thinking of them." He hissed, "Unlike the two of them, who just put them both at the risk of the Dementors-"

"Severus," Dumbledore chided gently, "This is the only option. I'm afraid without your agreement, Harry Potter will have to return to his relative's this summer. Of course I will put Charms and hexes in place to make sure they cannot harm him in any way, but I do believe he and his sister will find Remus and Sirius' plan to be far more favorable."

Snape pinched the bridge of his nose tightly. An entire two months, with two-thirds of the Marauders? Two months of making sure their dunderhead stunts and tricks didn't kill the children? Two months of making sure Snape didn't kill the two idiots?

Merlin, he deserved a parent of the year award for agreeing to this madness. And a lifetime supply of fire whiskey.

"Fine." He spat, "But we _will _discuss rules when the time comes. I will not spend my holiday trying to prevent deaths on a daily basis."

Lupin nodded happily as Black snorted arrogantly.

"_And,_" Snape turned to just Black, "I want your word that you will not try and interfere when it comes to guardianship of my child." He held up his hand as the moron began to protest yet again, "I give you my word that I will not keep her from you and the wolf or speak ill of either of you if you agree to the same conditions regarding myself."

"Of course." Lupin answered immediately. Black rolled his eyes indignantly and muttered a "_We'll see_."

Snape's eyes turned to slit's at Black's comment, "Tread lightly, Black." He said darkly, "I could have revealed Lupin's little secret just as easily as you revealed mine. I, however, seem to possess some kind of self control."

Black glared murderously, "You wouldn't dare-"

"Oh, I would."

"If you so much as _think-_"

"Oh, will the two of you shut up already!" McGonagall's wand shot out red sparks as the men in the room turned to see her face reddening in anger, "You cannot raise these children whilst acting like children yourselves. Stop thinking of yourselves and put this utterly _ridiculous_ childhood feud to bed."

The silence in the room was a relief to Snape. As much as he hated to admit it, McGonagall was right. He had to put aside most of his feelings for the two nincompoops if he was going to make it through any holiday spent with them. But at the same time, he had to maintain his composure. There was no doubt in his mind that Black and Lupin would pull some utter moronic, _dangerous _kind of nonsense on more than one occasion, and he had no intentions on spending his summer in the Hogwarts infirmary with Poppy screeching about how _Snape _needed to be more careful with Ariel and Harry. Snape would put the "_childish feud to bed." _He had every intention of being the responsible adult, as he always had. He didn't bother answering McGonagall as he turned and made his way to the door, "I'm going back down to the hospital wing to make sure my daughter is alright. The two of you are," he tried not to spit the next words, "_welcome _to join me."

He could practically feel the joy emanating from the old coot behind the desk, "That sounds like a wonderful idea, Severus. I'm sure Remus and Sirius would love to accompany you."

There was a shuffling of feet behind him, when Snape realized, a rather important question hadn't been answered.

"Black," Snape spun around to see the two men making their way towards him, "How did you manage to escape Azkaban?"

The idiot broke into a cheeky grin as Lupin gave a small laugh. There was a loud _POP, _and in place of where Black was, stood a large, black dog.

Dumbledore never knew Severus had such a large, colorful vocabulary as the potions master fled the room, shaking in anger.


	26. Chapter 26

"Oh come now, Severus," Snape could hear a smile in the wolf's voice as he and the two imbeciles made their way back down to the hospital wing, "You couldn't have actually thought Sirius used dark magic to escape Azkaban."

Snape stifled the urge to snort at the statement. Yes, now the idea of Sirius Black, Golden Gryffindor and Do-Gooder practicing forms of dark magic in order to escape Azkaban was laughable. The man was no Dark Lord when it came to casting defensive spells in school, but he wasn't a Longbottom either. Snape had spent many sleepless nights pondering just how Black had done it. Surely Death Eaters like Bellatrix would have found a way of escaping before the moron. But an _Animagus- a_nd unregistered at that- Snape could see now how Black made managed to break out so easily. Dementors never went after animals.

"I had my theories." The potions master replied loftily, not bothering to turn around.

Black, still in his mutt form, sneezed. Snape guessed that meant he disagreed. His comment didn't seem to discourage Lupin, however.

"So," Lupin continued to make conversation to Snape's annoyance, "the Headmaster mentioned a lake house- where-"

"Lupin, I'm not discussing the whereabouts or conditions in which we'll be spending the next several holidays right now." Snape quickened his pace, praying that at least Harry was up so he could avoid Lupin's irritating chatter.

This didn't discourage the idiot, "How did you come by it?"

"It was my mother's." Snape replied shortly, "I resided there during the war, when I didn't want to be found by either side." _And where I resided with the children this past summer so we wouldn't be found by Black. _

"Dumbledore didn't even know about it?" Lupin asked. The infuriating man had quickened his pace so he was walking side by side with Snape.

"No," Snape sighed with relief as they rounded the corner to the infirmary. He flung the doors open with much more force than necessary, dodging Poppy's assaults at his loudness as he made his way back over to Ariel's bedside. The girl was still asleep, as well as her brother. Although only Harry had suffered a minor physical injury, a tree branch, Lupin had assured him as they'd carried the children back to the school, Snape couldn't help running a diagnostic spell over the both of them once more.

Black whimpered, pawing at Snape's trousers. He kicked at the mutt a bit harder than needed.

"Oh, shut up, dog." He muttered softly, not wanting to wake the children, "I'm just being cautious."

The mutt quickly jumped up on Harry's cot, making himself comfortable at the boy's feet. He laid his head on his paws and curled back his lip at Snape, whining softy.

"I'll hex you if you try anything," Snape threatened, summoning a chair. Once seated next to Ariel, Lupin did the same, to Snape's disgust, plopping down merrily beside him.

"Everything alright?" Lupin asked, looking over at the sleeping forms.

Snape nodded, "They're fine, although I did give Ariel some Dreamless Sleep before I went to speak with you in the Headmaster's office."

Lupin was very quiet for a moment before clearing his throat nervously, "You said she- she wasn't upset with you?"

"She was not." He replied curtly. As much as that relieved Snape, he couldn't help the wave of guilt that hit him again. She wasn't supposed to know that yet, not until it was the right time. Snape had planned on sitting her down and explaining himself and letting her go from there. This revelation wasn't supposed to have come for at least another two years…

Actually, now that he thought about it, that might not have even been possible. If Dumbledore kept the same plan, Ariel, as well as Harry, would have to believe that he was a Death Eater again anyway. Maybe this bit of information being leaked wasn't the worst- using the term _worst _lightly- thing to happen. An accidental slip up on a detail that hid a horrible secret might just be a key factor in convincing her he had truly gone dark again.

No- Snape shoved the thought away from him. This was for Dumbledore to worry about, not him. The girl was still safe, the Dark Lord had not risen yet. He didn't have to leave her just yet.

"I'm sorry," Snape turned to see the wolf staring at his hands, "I asked Sirius not to say anything for her sake- I knew it would be upsetting to her and I wasn't sure how much you had told her-"

Black's head shot up as he glared at Lupin.

"Don't look at me like that." Lupin snapped to the dog, "You promised you wouldn't use that against Severus- how many times did I assure you that Ariel and Harry were safe?"

The mutt whined and shook its head fiercely.

"You're such a brat." Lupin leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms, "Could you imagine what you would have done if Severus had revealed _my_ secret?"

Black rolled his eyes and set his head back down on the cot. His eyes closed, to Snape's relief. He wasn't sure he could take much more of the moron tonight. Or ever.

"As much as I appreciate the sentiment," Snape drawled, keeping his eyes on the black form, "I must admit that it does ring a bit hollow."

Lupin blinked, "And why's that?"

Snape held back the urge to roll his eyes at the man, "Because _wolf_, while you and Black not only attempted to dismantle my daughter's trust in me," Black growled, although he kept his eyes closed, "you, in whatever stupid, imbecilic world you reside in, decided to take _my child_ and Harry Potter on a mission to go visit a convicted felon, therefore risking their safety at the hands of the Dementors." He tried very hard not to yell the last couple of words as Poppy poked her head out of her office and shot him a horrible look.

The man's face seemed to reflect remorse, "I'm sorry, Severus." He whispered, "I never meant to harm them, but they insisted they help. Harry- Sirius is his one shot at having a family, especially after hearing about the Muggles…" Lupin turned a shade paler.

"He already had a family." Snape said tonelessly, "Harry has Ariel, as well as I."

Lupin raised an eyebrow, "You consider Harry family?"

Snape stiffened, "What I mean is that- I didn't-"

The mongrel smiled and waved Snape off, "I understand, Severus," his expression softened a bit, "but Sirius and I want to be involved in their lives as much as possible."

"Then you should have been here twelve years ago." Snape muttered. To his surprise, Black did not sit up. It seemed as if he had actually fallen asleep.

Lupin however, resumed that pathetic, sullen face, "Nothing I do will make up for all the years I was away from Ariel and Harry- but just know Severus, that I am grateful that she at least had you." Snape did not respond, and Lupin took that as an inclination to keep babbling, "I know that during our school days we were not- _kind_ to you, and I'm regretful for not telling Sirius and James off. You didn't deserve what they did to you. Especially after-"

"Don't, Lupin." Snape practically spat. Why was he doing this? And why _now_? Just because the old codger had condemned him to a holiday trapped with Black and Lupin didn't mean that these kinds of conversations were alright. He would grudgingly accept them in Ariel's life, but other than that, he had no intentions of reconciling with the Marauders. They'd cost him too much.

"You deserve to hear this," Lupin continued, ignoring Snape's increasing annoyance and awkwardness, "James was a downright arse to you and yet you took in his child- I know he and Lily would be more than grateful for that-"

"I said to shut up!" the sound of Lily's name was enough to send Snape's head whirling around to glare murderously at the dark art's professor.

"Just know that I do feel badly about what happened then, and tonight." Lupin said, seemingly unfazed by Snape's temper, "Sirius will come around in time as well, I know it. He's just terrified for their safety- especially after seeing how the Dementors affected them."

Snape gave a cold laugh in response to the idea that Black would "_come around_." Even if the stupid mutt did end up tolerating Snape, he would never return the feelings. Voldemort would rise again and declare he loved all Muggles before that happened.

"I believe," Merlin, the man never stopped talking, "that I'm requesting a truce."

Maybe if he stopped responding, the wolf would cease speaking.

"Severus?"

Or perhaps if he impaled himself on the nearest bedpost-

"I know that you must-"

"No, you idiot," Snape finally hissed, "You _don't know, _which is exactly the problem. You nor Black know nothing of how I feel or my reasons for taking care of Ariel, and I'll be damned if either of you harm her in any way-"

"_Harm_?" Lupin's voice rose a bit, "Severus, I know that tonight might not have been the best idea, but I had to intentions of hurting Ariel or Harry- the Dementors must have seen _you _enter the tunnel. They were perfectly safe with me."

Snape was staring daggers, "Are you saying that it's _my fault _the Dementors almost killed them tonight?"

Lupin shook his head and sighed, "No, of course not Severus. I was just pointing out that I had everything premeditated out before we went. The Dementors tend to be in the same spots every night, and I had it planned so that they wouldn't be anywhere near the Willow when we came. I wouldn't have taken them if there had been a bigger risk."

"It was a risk, nonetheless." Snape said, closing his eyes. He couldn't take much more of this idiotic banter from Lupin. It was causing a sharp pain to begin throbbing in his forehead. He felt himself drifting off to sleep, relieved that the werewolf had finally silenced himself when he heard the man stir next to him.

"Please, just think about what I've said, Severus. I don't want there to be tension between the three of us. You saw how it affected Ariel- her and Harry don't need worry about things like that."

"Lupin, I'm on the verge of a full-blown migraine due to the stress you and your mutt have put me through today. Kindly _shut up_ and let me rest."

Snape thought he heard a low chuckle and an "_I'll take that as a yes" _before he fell into a dreamless sleep.

To Ariel's immense relief, Madam Pomfrey allowed her and Harry to leave the hospital wing the next morning under the strict instructions to consume the three boxes of chocolate frogs she gave them and to stay away from any lingering Dementors.

Harry had been rather alarmed when he'd woken up the next morning to find Sirius lying at his feet while Snape was at Ariel's bedside. Her father had quickly reassured him that the Ministry had been contacted and that Sirius was now a free man. The look on Harry's face had caused Sirius to explode into a fit of happy _woofs_ and slobber, which Snape had put a swift stop to with nasty stinging hex.

Lupin had told them it would be a good idea for Sirius to remain in his Animagus form for several days, at least until the wizarding world got over the shock that notorious murderer Sirius Black was no longer guilty for the slaughtering of the Potters. Dumbledore had offered Sirius stay at Hogwarts for the time being until he could secure lodgings somewhere else. This had caused Snape to make an odd sort of choking sound, followed by Harry's whoops for joy. Lupin had then insisted that he get going, he was already late for his first class, taking Sirius with him. It would draw too much attention if HaJHjAriel or Harry just began walking around the school with another dog. Harry had gone with them, Defense being his first class of the day as well, leaving Snape and Ariel.

"When is your next class?" Snape asked as they exited the hospital wing. He'd been strangely quiet all morning, but then again, so had she. As happy as she was that Sirius was now free to be with Harry and her, she'd been waiting for someone to finally blurt out that Sirius would be taking her every holiday from now on. It wasn't as if she wanted to be away from Sirius, if anything, she couldn't wait to spend time with him, but he'd sounded so hell-bent on making sure Snape had nothing to do with her the night before. Where was that now? Where was the yelling, the papers?

"Not until eleven." She finally replied, glancing up at her father.

He nodded, "I have the N.E.W.T's at ten. Would you rather eat whatever's left in the Great Hall or accompany me down the dungeons for the meal?"

What kind of question was that? At this time, she would be lucky if there was even a glass left in the hall, "I'll go with you." She said.

Snape remained silent as they walked to his quarters. The gnawing in her stomach was making itself present again as it did the night before when she realized Snape had in fact been a Death Eater. Why did adults feel the need to unnecessarily drag everything out? Wasn't it easier just to say what needed to be said and get it over with? She didn't know how she was going to do this. Surely Sirius must have pulled the Death Eater card to Fudge and the Aurors that had come by. That meant that Dumbledore had to have been in agreement. Ariel gritted her teeth- the man always seemed to take everything and make it so much worse. What was the point of Snape raising her if she could be easily passed around? This wasn't like Harry who needed a home- _deserved _a home. Ariel already had one.

Or maybe nothing had been done just yet- maybe Dumbledore _had _put his foot down and told Sirius that Ariel was to stay with Snape. That thought was enlightening- but if that were the case, then there was no doubt she'd have to sit down with them all and state what she wanted. How in Merlin's name was she going to do _that_? It would no doubt destroy Sirius, who had escaped Azkaban in order to get them in the first place, and push Harry away again. _I'm sorry Harry, but I don't want to live with you and your godfather, sorry. See you when school starts!_

But then if she said yes- she could never just _leave _her father. The thought seemed so absurd that Ariel shook her head as she walked into her father's kitchen. No, there had to be some way she could be with them all but not have to leave the other.

Neither spoke as they entered their quarters. Snape quickly summoned a house elf, who returned with seconds with a large spread. They always tended to bring far too much than was needed, which Ariel found to be a bit annoying at times.

It was still silent as they sat down to eat until Ariel couldn't hold it in any longer.

"I don't want to live with Sirius!" she blurted out just as her father began to eat a mouthful of eggs.

He paused mid-bite. Snape seemed surprised at the sudden vocalization. "Well, I'm glad," he said as he put down his fork, "as Black has nowhere to stay and no means of supporting a child. It would seem asinine for him to take on another mouth to feed."

She blinked in surprise. His tone was condescending, as it always had when he spoke of Sirius, but she could see the smile playing on his thin lips. "Was that a joke?" she demanded.

"It was meant to be sarcastic," Snape said, "But the statement is indeed fact."

Merlin, he could be infuriating. As much as she enjoyed his dry sense of humor at times, the uneasy churning in her stomach said otherwise. "So you're saying that Sirius can't take care of me for _now_?"

Snape pursed his lips, his expression going blank, "You've just told me that you did not wish to live with Sirius Black, and now you're concerned with _when _he'll be taking you?"

"No," she said irritably, "I'm saying… I don't want to go with him at all, Dad. I want to stay with you."

He looked thunderstruck, "Ariel, child, why in Merlin's name would you think you would be leaving me?"

Ariel blinked. "Because last night Sirius said he was going to get custody of Harry and I…" Had she simply imagined the exchange? No, she couldn't have, Sirius had been talking about it in the Shrieking Shack as well. Her father was probably pretending there wasn't an issue in order to spare her. He had always done that, especially since she had started Hogwarts. When she was younger, it had been understandable things, like when she had the Dragon Pox and her fever had gotten dangerously high. But not things like what had happened first and second year. The visions ended up hurting _Harry _because Dumbledore had lied and let this connection play out. Quirrell was almost self-explanatory, although now, she couldn't see how anyone else could have defeated Voldemort. Quirrell, or Voldemort, for that matter, didn't have the nerve to take on Dumbledore, and he'd seriously underestimated Ariel and Harry. Surely Snape didn't think he could hide something like this now?

Snape seemed to sense her confusion as she broke off. "Ariel, Black isn't trying to get custody of you anymore- he was simply mouthing off in order to infuriate me." He said, his tone implying he may be thinking of ways to strangle Sirius.

This just confused Ariel even more, "But he escaped for get us and- and he seemed so set on it. He kept saying it last night even though I told him you've never been bad to me-"

Her father held up a hand, "Do you think I'm a horrible person, Ariel?"

The question caught her completely off guard, "What?" she asked, thoroughly perplexed.

"Do you believe that I am a person of questionable morals?" he quirked an eyebrow.

"What? No, of course not!"

"And do you think that I am a horrid parent?"

"No-"

"Then I must say, I'm quite unsure as to why we're having this conversation." Snape resumed eating his eggs and motioned for Ariel to do the same.

"But- but what does that have to do with Sirius adopting me?" Ariel asked, her voice rising.

His eyes narrowed, "Watch your tone." He warned. Rising, he poured himself a cup of coffee as Ariel gripped the sides of her chair tightly.

"Dad, what is going on?" Ariel had to concentrate on not yelling the words.

Sighing, Snape finally turned and gave her knowing look, "Child, despite whatever poppycock Black spewed last night, you are staying here, with me, unless you deem me unfit as your parent. Black is _Harry's _godfather, not yours, and therefore has no legal claim to you whatsoever. _I, _on the other hand, do. Do you not recall that we performed a blood adoption?"

"Of course I do," she shot back, "But Sirius-"

"But Sirius nothing," Snape said as he sat back down, "He is not taking you from me, Ariel. Do not worry."

The only sound for several minutes was her father's cutlery as Ariel could not force herself to eat. The gnawing in her stomach had decreased greatly, but she still couldn't shake this feeling of guilt. Sirius wanted her, as well as Harry. Wouldn't he be upset with her when holiday came around and only Harry went with him? Were her and Harry going to spend their vacations apart from now on? Would they resent her for choosing Snape?

Ariel was torn away from her thoughts when she caught her father staring at her, "I sense you are still troubled."

"What? No, I'm fine." She mumbled, forcing herself to take a sip of her pumpkin juice.

"You're not eating." His eyes glanced at her full plate.

She shrugged, "I'm not hungry."

"Nonsense," Snape said, "You haven't eaten anything but chocolate for nearly twenty-four hours. You're body must be craving substance."

Ariel cursed her stomach when it provided Snape with a loud, rumbling sound.

He frowned. "Eat."

Reluctantly, she picked up her fork and shoved a mouthful of eggs into her mouth. Snape nodded in approval, but did not begin eating again himself. "What's bothering you now?" he asked, a hint of caution in his voice.

She hesitated, "Is Sirius angry with me?"

A look of realization came over her father's face, "You think he'll be disconcerted you don't want to go with him."

Ariel nodded, her eyes glued to her plate. Her father didn't say anything for a long time. When she finally looked up, he had his hands clasped tightly in front of him, the look on his face suggesting his thoughts were more or less homicidal.

"Dad?" she asked timidly.

His eyes snapped to hers as she flinched at the expression he was wearing. Softening his appearance, her father sighed, "I wasn't going to tell you this until it was time to decide what we'd be doing for Christmas, but Black and Professor Lupin will be spending the next several holidays with us at the lake house."

She blinked in puzzlement. Surely she must have heard that wrong, "What?"

Snape gave her a long look, "Black and Lupin will be staying with us until further notice."

A grin broke out over her face, "Harry too?"

"I hardly suppose only one child will be enough to entertain the two of them."

"So- so then it's like shared custody then?"

Snape's expression darkened a bit, "Child, despite what you may have heard last night, Sirius Black will not and has not gone to any lengths, besides screaming in protest, to gain custody of you. I'm quite certain he'll try to attain it for your brother, as is his right, but in no scenario would I relinquish my guardianship of you. You're my child." He then resumed eating, but watched Ariel's reaction carefully.

She suddenly felt as light as a feather, "Sirius and Professor Lupin are coming to live with us?"

It was obvious he was trying hard to hold back his disgust, "It would seem so."

It was too good to be true. Snape had actually _agreed _to share his home with two men he more or less despised, for her and Harry's sake. No, he hadn't said that outright, but why else would he have agreed to this?

Ariel simply stared at her father for a long moment before she jumped up and wrapped her arms around him tightly. "Thank you," she whispered fiercely into his chest.

For some reason, Snape didn't answer immediately. "You're welcome." He finally said gruffly.

Pulling away from him, she happily sat back down in her seat and began to eat her eggs enthusiastically. "Harry's going to be over the moon when he hears this!" she said, grinning.

"I can only imagine." Ariel tried to ignore the dripping sarcasm in her father's voice, "I see you two are on speaking terms again?"

Nodding, Ariel looked up at her father, "He said he realized I was just doing what I was told- although I guess that still doesn't excuse the fact that I lied to him. I mean, imagine finding out everyone knows this horrible secret and no one's bothered to tell you."

She thought she saw something flash in his dark eyes, "It was a mistake on the Headmaster's part, as well as my own. I should have been more vigilant in how we handled the situation."

"Why didn't Professor Dumbledore want us knowing about the connection?" she asked, "I mean, if I was having dreams than isn't it obvious to assume Harry would too?"

He nodded slowly, "I do not know as to why the Headmaster wanted to keep such information from your brother, but I do know that he did so because he felt it would protect him."

"Protect him from what?" Ariel frowned.

"I don't know that either, Ariel." Snape's voice rang with finality as he rose and poured himself a second cup of coffee. Ariel could never seem to get any answers as to why Dumbledore did things when she asked her father about it. It was infuriating to know that certain things were purposely being kept from her that concerned herself and her brother.

"Do you think the connection between us could ever become more than just dreams?" she asked curiously.

Snape raised an eyebrow, "Would you care to elaborate?"

She sat and thought for a moment. This hadn't been something she had spent an awful amount of time pondering, but now that she thought about it, why wasn't she? Now that Harry knew about the connection, maybe there was more to it than a distress signal every time the other was in trouble.

"Well," Ariel began, "Do you think if we ever practiced enough, we could use it to communicate?"

"Telepathically?" Snape looked rather thoughtful.

She nodded, "We can never talk to each other- do you think that if this link gets stronger we could eventually read each other's thoughts over long distances whenever we wanted?"

Snape was quiet for a minute. "It's an interesting theory." He finally said, "I suppose that as your power grows it would make sense that your bond between yourself and your brother would as well. But it is unclear as to how much control either of you would be able to exercise of it. You recall what happened to you your first year, don't you?"

"Of course." Ariel said.

"Then you know that this link exerts a great amount of magical energy whenever it is activated." Snape continued quietly, "I don't know how long either of you would be able to correspond with the other before you fainted from magical exhaustion, or died." He was frowning deeply now as he sat back down, "Ariel, I don't want you to attempt doing any of this, do you understand me?"

"Why? If this bond could help us, then we should use it!" Ariel argued, crossing her arms.

Snape leaned across the table, "It could also kill you. Neither you nor Harry know what causes this connection, although it's best to assume it's the result of dark magic."

"It's helped us before! Wouldn't it be best to learn how to control it so-"

"Ariel-" Snape warned, his eyes narrowing. They both turned their heads as they heard the doors opening to the Potions classroom, soon followed by several voices laughing and talking. Snape grimaced, "I believe that would be my seventh years- it must be later than I thought."

"I guess I'll get out of here then." Ariel said as she hopped off the chair, taking a long sip of her pumpkin juice. She didn't like the direction the conversation was turning anyway. The last thing she wanted today was a lecture from her father.

A firm hand whirled her around before she could take two steps.

"Not so fast," Snape said as Ariel turned to face him, "We still haven't discussed your punishment."

Her eyes widened in horror, "_Punishment_?"

Okay- _maybe _she should have seen this coming. There was no universe in which her father would let her get away with blatantly disobeying him, leaving the school after dark, and visiting a then convicted felon- but Sirius had been proven innocent because of the events that had transpired. Surely he wasn't serious.

The look on his face confirmed that he was indeed, "Hogsmeade is off limits to you until after Christmas break."

"_What_?" she yelled, "What am I supposed to do all day with everyone gone? And what about Christmas gifts?"

"I'm sure you'll find other ways to entertain yourself." Snape had walked away and removed a stack of parchment from his desk, "I also want you sleeping here for the next week- no Gryffindor Tower."

Ariel moaned loudly, "But I helped Sirius- doesn't that sorta cancel everything else out?"

Snape rolled his eyes, "You placed yourself in danger, deliberately disobeying me in order to do so. I will not tolerate such behavior, even if it was encouraged by your _godfather_."

In reality, it wasn't the worst punishment ever. Harry was only a second year, and they weren't allowed to go to Hogsmeade. She could spend that time with him, Ron, and Hermione now that he was speaking to her again.

"Fine." She huffed as she made her way towards to door again, "I'll see you tonight?"

He nodded. Just as she was about to close the door behind her, he called her name, "Oh, and Ariel?"

She turned back around, "Yeah, Dad?"

He seemed to be studying her, "If you need to talk, you know I'm always here, correct?"

Nodding, she closed the door quietly, pondering the statement. Was he still afraid she was going to run away from him screaming bloody murder?

As she wondered the corridors, she found herself thinking. She hated it admit it, but now, the thought of her dad being a former Death Eater didn't seem so far-fetched. He'd always had a fascination in the Dark Arts, something he'd tried to hide from her as a child. The library at Spinner's End, she recalled, was filled with several books on dark spells and curses. When Ariel was around seven, Snape had been enraged to find her reading one of the books on Impaling Curses. She had been certain this was going to be the day he finally took her over his knee and give her a proper spanking, but he never did. He simply locked the library door from then on, only allowing her to go in when he was present.

There was also the fact that year after year, he'd ask Dumbledore at the staff meetings if he could be transferred to the DADA position. The Headmaster had always refused him, saying he'd never find a Potions professor as good as Snape.

That didn't mean he was a bad person though, did it? I mean, Snape could be a downright git when provoked, but he was good at heart. She'd seen it herself. She'd seen the terror in his eyes when Quirrell had attacked her and Harry last year, the look in his eyes when he told them Sirius had escaped Azkaban. Dumbledore trusted him more than anyone as well, and the old wizard was the most brilliant magical mind to walk the planet since Merlin himself.

She hadn't realized just how far she'd walked until she saw the second year DADA exiting their classroom a half an hour early. Raising an eyebrow, she caught sight of Hermione and Ron, who looked rather worried.

"What's going on?" Ariel asked as she brushed past the other students.

Hermione's face lit up the second she saw her, "Oh Ariel!" she breathed, throwing her arms around her, "I'm so glad you and Harry are speaking again- and that the two of you are alright of course! I'm so sorry we couldn't hold Snape off any longer, but he was set on finding you and you had been so sure he'd be gone that I couldn't think of a plan in time-"

"It's alright, Hermione." Ariel laughed as she hugged the girl back, "It ended up working in our favor anyway- Sirius is free!"

"How was Snape?" Ron asked, "He looked downright murderous when he stormed into the common room looking for you. I thought he was gonna throttle Hermione at one point."

Ariel sighed, "Furious at first, but he's calmed down. I can't go to Hogsmeade until after Christmas. I'm hoping you guys will keep me company?"

"Of course!" Hermione said quickly, "It'll be nice to have you around again. I'm sure Harry will be glad."

The three of them were the only ones standing outside of the classroom now, and Ariel still hadn't seen her brother. "Where's Harry?" she asked.

Ron and Hermione exchanged a worried look. "He had a bad encounter with a Boggart." Hermione said quietly.

"A Boggart?" Ariel asked, furrowing her eyebrows in confusion, "Didn't we do that those in the beginning of the year?"

"The older kids did." Hermione shrugged, "Professor Lupin decided he wanted us to do Cornish Pixies before the Boggart."

"So what happened?" Ariel felt herself getting a bit panicky. Had the Boggart become Voldemort? Ariel peered behind them to see Lupin kneeling in front of Harry, who looked rather pale.

She didn't bother waiting for Ron and Hermione to answer as she rushed inside. Lupin stood up immediately once he saw her. "Close to door." He ordered her. Once she had done so, Sirius, in his human form, emerged from behind the desk and bent down to look at Harry alongside Lupin.

"Are you alright?" it was clear Sirius was more than concerned.

"M'fine." Harry mumbled as he rubbed his eyes.

"Eat this." Lupin quickly _accio_'d a bar of chocolate from the kitchen and handed it to Harry, who quickly ate a piece.

"What happened?" Ariel asked Lupin, who had stood up to lean against the desk.

He stared at Harry when he spoke, "The Boggart took the form of a Dementor when it was Harry's turn to face it."

Ariel quickly walked over to Harry, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder, "It didn't know they scared you that much."

"They don't." he shot back, "I just- it's what I hear when they're near me."

She remembered hearing their mother's screams and closed her eyes for a long moment. "Mum." She said softly. When she opened her eyes again, Harry was nodding stiffly.

Sirius brought Harry into a tight hug as Ariel went to stand next to her godfather. "Why do they affect us so badly?" she asked quietly.

Lupin was silent for a moment. "I think," he said finally, "It's because of what you've witnessed it your past. Dementors feed off the bad memories, people's worst fears, and you and Harry witnessed something horrendous. They must be attracted to that."

She stiffened at the idea that she and her brother were a kind of beacon for the hooded figures. Thank Merlin the Dementors were gone now. Ariel didn't think she could bear walking the grounds knowing that cloaked demons were lurking around, attracted to her worst memory.

"I don't want to be afraid of them." Harry said, looking at Lupin, "I'm sick of getting so freaked out every time one gets near me. Isn't there a way for me to defend myself?"

Lupin paused, "Well- there is _one _spell, but it's sophisticated magic"

Ariel suddenly remembered the wolf figure from last night, "_Expecto Patronum?_"

He nodded, "I imagine I could teach you both it, just in case, but this is some highly advanced stuff. I wouldn't blame you if neither of you managed it straight away."

"They'll be able to." Sirius cut in, grinning at Harry, "We'll both be teaching you."

"What is it exactly?" Ariel was growing curious, "Why is it a wolf?"

Lupin shook his head. "The spell is different for everyone," he explained, "A Patronus acts like a guardian, each one pertains to the nature of the wizard. For example, mine is a wolf, while Sirius' is a dog."

"Way to give away the big reveal, Moony." Sirius grumbled jokingly.

"So Ariel and I will have different Patronuses?" Harry asked eagerly.

Sirius nodded and smiled, "It'll protect you from Dementors, as well as other dark spells and curses." His eyes suddenly lit up, "_And _if you ever decide to try becoming an Animagus, you'll take the form your Patronus does."

Harry grinned, "That sounds brilliant."

"When can we start?" Ariel tugged at Lupin's sleeve.

Sirius and Lupin exchanged a glance. "How does the first of December sound?" Lupin asked.

Ariel frowned, "Why so late? Why can't we start today or tomorrow?"

"I've been feeling a little under the weather lately. I think I'm coming down with something." Lupin explained as he moved behind his desk to sit, "I want to rest up for a bit before I start training you two." He gave a wink.

She could tell he was lying. It was a horrible excuse, and whatever it was, Sirius seemed to know it too.

Before she could ask what the real reason was, Harry cut in. "What was my dad's Patronus?"

Sirius smiled widely, "A stag."

"And your mother's was a doe." Lupin said, "Your father used to joke that that meant they were literal soul mates."

"Was Dad an Animagus too?" Harry asked.

"Yup," Sirius' smile was nearly blinding, "We used to sneak out and go play in the Shrieking Shack in our Animagus forms every month."

"What about Mum?" Ariel asked, "Did she ever go out with you guys?"

"No, Lily didn't know until her and James started dating seventh year." Sirius said as he stood up, "She could never turn into a doe."

"Your mother was brilliant at Charms, if I recall correctly." Lupin said as he saw Ariel's face fall with disappointment, "And Potions too."

"Her and Snape would get along." Harry joked. He looked much better than he did when Ariel first came in.

Sirius opened his mouth to say something, but clamped it shut and transformed back into a dog as someone knocked at the door. He quickly took cover behind Lupin's desk as Marcus Flint entered the room.

"Hello, Mr. Flint." Lupin said politely, "What can I help you with?"

"I had a question about an assignment," Flint's eyes flickered to Harry and Ariel, "but if you're busy, I guess I can come back later."

"That's okay, Marcus." Ariel said quickly, grabbing Harry's arm and pulling him towards the door, "Harry and I were just leaving. Thanks again, Professor Lupin!"

Harry shot her a confused look as she whisked them around the corner, not bothering to wait for Lupin's reply. She finally let go of his arm once they were outside, nearing Hagrid's hut. "What was that about?" he asked, sounding annoyed.

"You didn't see?" she asked, giving him a knowing look.

He stared blankly back at her, "What in the world are you talking about?"

"Lupin and Sirius- there's something they're hiding!" she threw her hands up, frustrated, "Didn't you notice them? Lupin told us he couldn't start until December because he's '_afraid of getting sick_.' What kind of an excuse is that?"

Realization seemed to creep across her brother face, "I kinda see what you mean… but what could they be hiding? Maybe he's just being cautious, or needs time to prepare. He said this kind of magic is really hard-"

"Snape said he came back last night because Lupin forgot to take a potion, and he disappears for a day every month." Ariel pointed out, "There's something wrong and he's not telling us."

Harry bit his lip, "What do you think it could be? You don't think it's something _bad_, do you?"

She shook her head, "Of course not. But they're definitely hiding something."

"So what are you saying we do?" Harry asked, crossing his arms.

Ariel sighed, "I don't know. Let's just wait until lessons start and go from there."

Harry nodded, "That sounds like a good idea. I don't want to go accusing or spying on them."

Both were quiet for a minute before Harry cleared his throat, "So uh- did you and Snape talk?"

"Yeah," they two began walking side by side in the direction of the Whomping Willow.

"And?" he quirked an eyebrow.

"He was a Death Eater." She replied softly.

To her surprise, Harry didn't gasp in horror or begin a tirade. "Did he say why he became one?" he asked.

"He- he said he was all alone and wanted power, a kind of family. A year or so into it he realized he made a mistake and went to Dumbledore for help and became a double agent."

His eyes widened, "Snape was a double agent?"

"Yeah, Voldemort never knew. He died- I mean- Merlin, I don't even know what the bloody hell to call it, _vanished _without knowing Snape had been pitted against him."

"Wow." Harry muttered, "Why didn't he ever tell you?"

She shrugged, "I think he thought I'd think less of him. When he told me last night he seemed scared that I was going to start freaking out any minute."

"And you didn't?"

Her eyes narrowed slightly, "He changed before Voldemort fell. His remorse was genuine."

"I'm not arguing that," he reassured her, "but he _was_ a true Death Eater for some time. That doesn't bother you, even a little?"

"No." she said flatly, "That's who he was, not who he is now."

"Sirius doesn't seem convinced of that." Harry pointed out.

She stiffened. "I'm not angry with Sirius for saying it," Ariel sighed, "I know he was just worried for our safety- but if Dumbledore trusts Snape, then so should he."

"Well, I trust your Dad if you do." Harry gave her hand a small squeeze.

Ariel smiled gratefully at him, but frowned as another thought came into her head, "You should have seen him last night. I've never seen him look so nervous, so scared before. I felt horrible."

"Why?" Harry asked as he kicked a rock mindlessly, "It's not your fault he became a Death Eater."

"But it is our fault that he'll be a target when Voldemort comes back." Ariel muttered darkly.

Harry looked at her, startled, "I didn't even think about that." He bit his lip, "Do you really think he's coming back again? I mean- do you think he's strong enough?"

"I don't think he is now, but I think he will be." She said tonelessly. As much as she wished it weren't true, she couldn't ignore the signs. Dumbledore had never reassured her that Voldemort wasn't returning. Neither had Snape, for that matter. He'd always just promised that he'd protect her. But now, who was it really that needed the protecting?

Harry's hollers for joy could be heard all throughout the school as Ariel informed him that they'd be spending the next several holidays with Lupin and Sirius at the lake house. He was practically bouncing from tree to tree as he walked Ariel to Care of Magical Creatures.

"Do you think Hagrid will let me stay and watch the lesson?" Harry asked excitedly as they neared the hut.

"I don't see why not," Ariel said, "unless he's like Snape when it comes to things like that." She thought back to the first day of school and the detention her father gave her and Damon for wanting to hangout in the Potions classroom during Harry's lesson.

Speaking of Damon, she had forgotten about speaking to her best friend about why he had told Snape her and Harry had gone to see Sirius. She'd narrowed it down to two conclusions; either Damon genuinely believed her and Harry had been in danger or Snape had threatened him with the promise of a world of pain. Something told her it was the latter.

He was standing at the back of the group of third years as Harry and Ariel reached the hut. Harry sprang forward to talk to Hagrid, while Ariel stalked towards Damon.

"Hi." Ariel said as she approached him.

He looked at her warily, "You're still in one piece."

"Why wouldn't I be?" she asked, arching an eyebrow as she crossed her arms.

Damon shrugged and looked away, "Snape seemed homicidal last night. Did he get Lupin sacked?"

"No," she grimaced, "how would you know what Snape was doing last night?"

"Because he came into my dorm and forced me to tell you where you were." He stared ahead as he spoke.

Ariel narrowed her eyes, "What do you mean '_forced_?'"

"I mean, he threatened to ship me off to my uncle's every holiday instead of letting me spend it here unless I said where you'd gone."

She was going to kill him. "He did _what_?" she whispered.

Damon rolled his eyes, "Calm down, I know he wasn't serious. He already apologized to me."

Her eyebrows hit her forehead, "He did?"

"Yeah," Damon finally turned to look at her, "I was worried about what had happened. When I heard Snape's class hadn't been canceled for the morning, I decided to go down and ask him if you were alright. He said you and Harry were fine, and then he told me that he was out of line for using my uncle as a threat and apologized."

Mortified as she was her father had threatened her best friend like that, she felt a twinge of relief. "You didn't deserve it." She said as she threw her arms around him, "I'm so sorry."

He gave a low chuckle, "I'm fine, Ariel, really. I just- I feel guilty I gave you guys up."

"It worked in our favor regardless." She said as she released him, "Sirius is free now!"

Damon laughed, "I saw the Prophet- where is he?"

"With Lupin, probably chewing on a bone or something." She replied jokingly.

"He's staying here?" Damon asked, looking shocked.

Before she could respond, Harry came bounding over. "Hagrid said I could stay, but to stay near you" he said excitedly, "He said he has a really great lesson for you guys today, Hippo-somethings!"

"Hippogriffs?" Damon's eyes widened, "How in Merlin's name did he manage to get one of those?"

"Are they rare?" Harry asked, looking over at Hagrid with a hint of pride in his eyes.

Ariel shook her head, "No- but they're not easy to tame. You have to be careful around them. They're proud creatures that don't take to wizards very well."

"Well," Damon laughed, "Hagrid _is _one of a kind."

"C'mon now!" Hagrid's voice boomed, "Let's get a move on! Got a right special treat for yeh today!"

Hagrid waved the group over to a small clearing, where he brought out not one, but _six _Hippogriffs.

"They're beautiful." Ariel whispered as Hagrid untied one and brought one closer to the group. Everyone seemed to simultaneously back up at once, except for Damon, Ariel, and Harry who were engrossed with the stunning bird-horse hybrid.

Ariel listened to Hagrid's lesson attentively, not bothering to take any notes like other students were. She knew she'd remember _this _lesson well, as it wasn't one someone was likely to forget.

That was, until her attention was torn from the lesson to someone lurking behind a nearby tree.

Harry couldn't believe how drastically his life had changed within the last twenty-four hours.

Not even a day ago, Sirius was still on the run, but now, he was his _guardian. _Harry had a _parent_, someone's whose sole concerned lied with _him_. He hadn't been sure he'd ever have that chance, especially when Snape had appeared at the tunnel entrance. Everything was alright now, Sirius was alive and well and at Hogwarts.

Then there were other things that had been discovered that weren't so pleasant.

Harry himself believed Snape was reformed. Although the man had originally been unkind- alright, downright _vicious- _to Harry, the day he'd yelled at him in the kitchen had been a turning point. He knew deep down that Snape did care for him, just a bit. If that weren't the case, then Snape would have let Harry go with the Dursleys last summer. Snape had promised Harry he would be more supportive, but he knew the man's priorities were with Ariel. He had protected the two of them, but Harry knew when it came down it, it would always be his sister. But now Harry had Sirius- his father's best friend- looking out for him. That was more than enough for Harry.

Yes, things were certainly looking up, at least until a rustling in the brush nearby tore his attention from Hagrid's lesson.

"_OOOH" _three black forms came flying out from the trees, aiming straight for Harry.

Ariel had stepped in front of Harry before he could even register what was going on. "_Stupefy!_" she cried. A bright red light came shooting out of her wand and hit the figure in the front, sending the other two spiraling backwards.

There were several shrieks from the throng of students behind them. Hagrid came hurrying forward, quickly tying the Hippogriff he'd been using for his lesson to a post.

"What happen'd?" he asked worriedly, looking down at Harry, "You lot alright?"

"We're fine, Professor." Harry said shakily, eyeing the three black forms sprawled in the brush, "What was that?"

One of the figures moaned loudly and began to sit up as the cloak it was wearing, Harry realized, fell, revealing Malfoy. The other two figures, which he assumed were Crabbe and Goyle, were unconscious, lying on top of what looked like smashed broomsticks.

"_Draco?!" _Damon yelled angrily, stalking over to his cousin.

Malfoy was holding his head as he rose, seemingly unaware of Damon approaching.

"Ouch," he cried as Damon grabbed him by the back of his neck, "Damon _let go!_"

"Damon!" Hagrid called, sounding a bit flustered, "Let em' go, I'll take care of em'."

"You idiot!" Damon snarled as he threw Malfoy from him, "What the hell was that?"

"We were trying to scare Potty after what happened in Defense today." Malfoy smirked at him haughtily, "Too bad we didn't get close enough."

Ariel was turning red next to Harry. "You loathsome little arse!" Ariel bolted towards Malfoy, wand raised, "You think it's _funny _that you almost killed him just now?"

"Ariel!" Harry and Hagrid called to her at the same time, the only difference being that Harry was quite amused knowing Ariel was going to hex Malfoy, while Hagrid looked as if he didn't know what to do.

"_Stupefy!" _Ariel screamed again, sending another red spark towards Malfoy. It hit him on the shoulder, spending him stumbling backwards as he cried out in pain.

"_ARIEL!" _Hagrid roared. Harry looked up at him in surprise. He'd never heard Hagrid speak to a student like this, especially Ariel. Although he realized that two students dueling in the middle of his class may look bad on Hagrid's part.

Before he could yell for Ariel to stop, Malfoy pointed his wand straight at her, "_Serpensortia!_"

A large, green snake came flying out the end of Malfoy's wand, landing a foot or two away from Ariel. She laughed and rolled her eyes as the snake began to speak.

"_Isss thisss my target?_" the serpent hissed, glaring at Ariel.

"No," Ariel replied. She nodded her head towards Malfoy, who had gone rather pale, "He is."

The snake stopped slithering towards her and cocked its head, "You're a ssspeaker?"

"A speaker?" she asked, looking over at Harry, who suddenly realized that the entire class, including Hagrid, was staring at Ariel as if she'd spoken something unforgivable.

"Yesss, very rare, very rare indeed. How pleasssed I am to make your acquaintance." The snake said.

"It's rare?" Harry asked the snake. He suddenly remembered speaking to the garden snake in his backyard the fall before Ariel came to see him and recalled that the snake was surprised he could speak to him as well.

Ariel whirled around to look at Harry just as the class gasped. "Another ssspeaker?" the snake hissed happily, "How interesssting!"

"She's my sister." Harry replied, taking a few steps towards the snake.

The snake blinked. "Interesssting," it mused, "I haven't come acrosss a ssspeaker in more than fifty yearsss, and here are two. Fassscinating."

"Draco, get rid of it." Damon said abruptly.

"Could you do us a favor and scare the blonde cretin?" Ariel asked, motioning to Draco.

The snake flicked its tongue, "Certainly. It wasss a pleasssure ssspeaking with you both."

Draco seemed to sense what Ariel had just ordered the snake to do as it slithered towards him. "Tell it to stop, Potter!" he cried as he backed away, "My father will have you expelled-"

Ariel rolled her eyes, "My father is your Head of House, you moron. And you attacked us first."

"It was a joke!" he choked out as the snake opened its mouth to show off its fangs, "Stop it, Potter!"

"You conjured it!" Harry said calmly.

"_POTTER-"_

"Alright, keep your pants on." Ariel sighed, "Hey snake, you can stop now, thank you."

The snake stopped its advances and turned around, "Am I free to leave?"

Ariel nodded and then snake bowed slightly, "Thank you, ssspeakers, I do hope we meet again."

Harry and Ariel shared a look. "Uh, thank you, likewise." Harry said as the snake disappeared into the brush.

"You could have killed me!" Draco yelled as he brushed the dirt off his robes, "I'm going to make sure my father hears about this! The Precious Potters using their parseltongue powers against students!"

"Parseltongue?" Harry frowned, "What does that mean?"

"Don't act that you don't know your own dark powers," Draco scoffed nervously, "you're both parseltongues, you can talk to snakes."

"Who are you calling dark?" Ariel snapped, "You arrogant little-"

"Only someone with dark powers could have defeated You-Know-Who." Draco shot back.

Ariel's expression rivaled one of Snape's when he was in a rage.

"_Mimble Wimble!" _she cried. Harry watched as Malfoy yelped and tried to back away from the silver light that shot towards him, hitting him square in the chest as he went flying backwards.

"There," Ariel tucked her wand into her back pocket, "that'll teach you to hold your tongue."

Harry could tell Damon was trying very hard not to laugh as Ariel walked back over to Harry. "Are you alright?" she asked, looking at his still bandaged arm.

"I'm fine, really." He reassured her. Harry looked past her to catch a glimpse of Malfoy looking as if he had eaten something foul. "What'd you do to him?" he asked curiously.

Ariel smiled smugly, "I put a Tongue-Tying Curse on him. He can't speak any insults towards anyone until I release it."

"_My father is going to hear about this_!" Malfoy fumed, "Take it off, or I'll-"

"Or you'll what?" Harry yelled back, "Try to charge us on your broom again? I'd think to see you do that now."

"That's enough, Harry." Hagrid sternly before turning to the rest of the class, "Righ' then, class dismissed for today!" When the students didn't move, Hagrid gave them a look that said he might just let a Hippogriff loose if they didn't leave, and they scattered.

"Yeh four are gon' have ter come with me." He frowned down at Harry and Ariel.

"What? Why?" Ariel asked, incredulous, "_Malfoy's _the one who-"

"I know Ariel, an' I'm real sorry," Hagrid broke in, "but ye fired a curse at 'em, and that t'ing with the snake." Hagrid avoided their gazes, "I'm gonna have to bring ye to the Headmaster." Harry could tell Hagrid felt guilty about this.

"It's okay, Hagrid." Harry sighed and gave Ariel a knowing look.

Crabbe and Goyle were still unconscious as Hagrid carried them back up to the castle.

"Why didn't you tell me you guys were parseltongues?" Damon asked quietly as they were walking.

"I didn't even know I was one." Ariel said, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion, "I've always been able to do it- I just thought it was something all wizards did."

"And you never told your father?" Damon frowned at her.

"We didn't know it was something worth telling." Harry replied. He remembered all the stares of his peers and Hagrid when Ariel had first starting speaking to the snake, "Is it really that odd?"

Damon was very quiet for a moment. "It's usually something associated with dark magic." Damon stared at the ground as they walked, "You-Know-Who was a parseltongue himself."

Harry felt his stomach flop nervously at this while his sister turned a bit pale.

Malfoy was lingering behind them, opening and closing his mouth every couple of seconds. He was nearly purple with frustration when they finally reached the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey tsk'd tsk'd when Hagrid told her Ariel had put him under a Tongue-Tying curse, but could've sworn he saw her wink at Ariel out of the corner his eye.

Once Crabbe and Goyle were situated, Hagrid brought them up to the Headmaster's office.

"Ah, Hagrid!" Dumbledore called as they stepped inside his office, "How did your Hippogriff demonstration go today?"

"Well, sir, thank yeh." Hagrid smiled slightly, "I'm actually here fer these four."

Harry saw Ariel turned whiter next to Damon as the Headmaster raised a silvery eyebrow, "Oh?"

"There was a bit of an- er- problem, sir." Hagrid said, clearly uncomfortable. Harry knew that Hagrid had never had to do anything concerning discipline before and was clearly very out of his element.

"I suppose I should call your Head of Houses here before I hear what happened. Thank you Rubeus, you may leave." Dumbledore stood up and threw a handful of Floo powder into the fireplace as Hagrid shot Ariel and Harry another apologetic look. "Minerva, Severus?" he called, his tone a bit too merry for the circumstances.

It took a moment before he received a reply, "Yes, Headmaster?" McGonagall's voice called.

"Ah, Minerva. Is Severus with you?" Dumbledore asked.

"He is," McGonagall replied, "what is it, Albus?"

"I'm afraid I require your assistance pertaining to four of your students." Dumbledore said, "Would the two of you be so kind as to come through?"

"Of course. Severus-" McGonagall was cut off abruptly for a long moment.

"Minerva?" Dumbledore called, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"-oh stop it." Her voice returned, "Er- Headmaster, Severus would like to know to which students his presence is required."

"The Potters and the Malfoys."

"_What_?" came Snape's muffled reply. Harry figured he most how shouted from wherever he was. "Move back, Albus, we're coming through." Snape's voice sounded clearer now, and to Harry's horror, angry.

Dumbledore walked back to his desk as Snape and McGonagall emerged from the green flames. Snape's eyes immediately went to Ariel, and then Harry. Both shrank back.

"What is this about, Albus?" McGonagall asked as she eyed her two Gryffindors. Harry gulped nervously under her harsh gaze.

"What happened?" Snape asked flatly, looking over at Dumbledore.

"I haven't asked them yet. I thought you should like to be present." Dumbledore threw a lemon drop into his mouth. He motioned to Ariel, "Would you like to start us off, my dear?"

Harry could tell Ariel was trying very hard to ignore her father's increasing glare, "Yes, sir." She looked between Damon and Harry before taking a step forward, "Malfoy came flying at Harry during Hagrid's lesson- I think he was supposed to be a Dementor in order to scare him- but I cast Stupefy at him."

"_Twice_." Malfoy cut in. Damon rolled his eyes and jabbed him in the ribs.

"Anyway," Ariel continued, "Malfoy conjured a snake after a hexed him a second time, so I erm-" she hesitated, looking at Harry for help.

"She's a parseltongue!" Malfoy blurted out, grinning triumphantly.

McGonagall gasped as Dumbledore and Snape exchanged a look Harry could only discern as shock.

"Mr. Malfoy!" McGonagall yelled angrily, "That is a-"

"Wait a moment, Minerva," Dumbledore held up a hand as he turned to Ariel, "did you speak to the snake, Ariel?"

She nodded shakily as Harry stood next to her, "So did I, sir."

"Impossible," McGonagall scoffed, "They're both Gryffindors, James' kin were Gryffindors starting centuries back. Only Slytherins have the ability to speak to snakes and even that only happens every once every couple hundred years. Why, the last parseltongue was You-Know-Who himself!"

"I've been doing it since I was little." Ariel said quietly, "Harry has too."

The room was silent for a moment before Dumbledore spoke, "Ariel, Harry," he said kindly, "if we conjured a snake, would you be able to speak to it for us?"

They both nodded simultaneously. Dumbledore looked at Snape, "Severus, would you?"

Snape raised his wand and uttered the same spell Malfoy had earlier, producing a large black snake.

"Hello," Harry said quietly as the snake looked around, "My name is Harry, and this is my sister."

The snake blinked in surprise that the one had earlier, "A ssspeaker!"

"Yes," Ariel sighed, "why do all of you say that?"

"It'sss very rare!" the snake exclaimed, "Itsss been many yearsss sssince one of your kind hasss ssspoken to me."

"Well, I'm happy we've made your day." Ariel said tersely.

Harry looked up to see Snape staring at the both of them blankly.

"Did you ask the snake to do anything, Ariel?" the Headmaster asked slowly.

"I-I just told him to scare Malfoy. Then I told him he could go." There was a slight tremor in Ariel's voice as she spoke.

"That's enough Severus." Dumbledore was staring intently at the snake now, as if he was calculating something. The snake vanished with the flick of Snape's wand. Harry had a feeling that the rest of the events didn't really matter much, but for some reason, the old wizard asked Ariel to continue.

"And then I cast _Mimble Wimble_." Ariel mumbled, "That's all."

Dumbledore looked like he was trying to suppress a smile at that. "I see." He turned to Malfoy, "Any objections, Mr. Malfoy?"

Damon shot Malfoy a deadly glare. "No, sir." The Slytherin shook his head.

"Ariel," McGonagall asked, her eyes narrowing, "when you say Malfoy '_came at you_,' what did you mean by that?"

"He, Crabbe, and Goyle were cloaked on brooms." Ariel explained, shooting Malfoy a dirty look, "If I didn't cast _Stupefy, _they probably would have maimed Harry."

"Would not!" Malfoy cried out angrily.

"_Silence_." Snape finally spoke, his tone dangerous. "Mr. Malfoy, I expect you know just how seriously I take any acts of idiocy on Slytherin's part, and I have to stay, you have astounded me today with this stunt." He took a menacing step towards Malfoy, "I am not defending my daughter's over-usage of spells, but you were the instigator, and I will not have that in my House. You will be scrubbing the owlry as well as my classroom two nights a week, with Filch, for the next three months-"

"But sir-" Malfoy's eyes widened in horror.

"- with a toothbrush." Snape finished coldly.

Harry knew Malfoy had nerve, but apparently not enough to protest against Snape. The boy, although still red with anger, hung his head and mumbled, "Yes, sir."

"You may go, Mr. Malfoy." Dumbledore said sternly. Malfoy gave Damon one last glare before fleeing the room.

"I expect you know that your retaliation, while admirable, was unnecessary." McGonagall said sternly to Ariel.

Harry could see Ariel trying not to smirk at the word "_admirable_." "Yes, ma'am."

"Please, Professors." Harry cut in, "She was just trying to defend me. If she hadn't cast _Stupefy_, Malfoy might've really hurt all three of us."

A vein in Snape's forehead was beginning to make itself known as McGonagall pursed her lips, "I understand that, Mr. Potter, however, it did not taken two of the same spell and a Tongue-Tying curse in order to do so." She sighed, "I'm afraid I'll have to take five points from Gryffindor and give you a detention, Ms. Potter."

"Yes, ma'am." Ariel sighed, keeping her eyes averted from Snape.

Dumbledore stood up, "You three may leave, thank you."

"Albus-" Snape cut in before Harry could make a run for the door, "I'd like to speak with my daughter before they leave."

Harry and Ariel both shot the Headmaster a pleading look, praying he would understand and oblige.

"I'm sure they're starving, Severus." Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling again, "Why not let them eat first, and then speak to them afterwards?"

Snape stared at them for a moment. "Very well," he started towards the Floo, "My office, as soon as you're done eating. Understand?"

Harry and Ariel nodded as they watched Snape disappear into the green flames.

Snape's first instinct was to go and throttle the Malfoy boy the second he stepped back into his quarters.

The moron. Arrogant and cocky, just like Lucius, although Snape was sure than Lucius would never try to mow down two children with a broomstick. No, Lucius had better tricks than that, darker tricks.

After a_ccio_'ing a calming draught, Snape fell into the armchair in front of the fire.

_Parseltongues? _Of all the things, it had to be _that? _There were so many bone-chilling memories of the Dark Lord summoning Nagini to assist in torture and murders. The language in which he spoke to her always sent shivers down Snape's spine. He'd never enjoyed snakes, even being the Slytherin he was. Other Death Eaters had always tried to act as if they'd enjoyed her presence as well, but hadn't done so successfully. Towards the end of the Dark Lord's reign, there had been something rather unsettling about Nagini that Snape could never put his finger on. Well, there had _always _been something unsettling about the creature, but something had definitely changed.

He pushed away the dark thought that this could mean something dark for her. Not Ariel, not Lily's child. He was not going to see history repeat itself in her. As fiery as her temper may be, she never lashed out to be vicious; it was always to help others, just like Lily had done for him when they were children. Snape might have raised Ariel, but she was not going to go down the dark path he had made for himself. Surely there had to be parseltongues in history that hadn't been evil, ones they hadn't heard about. The only ones written about where the bad ones and that was because, _well, _they were psychotic madmen.

Snape racked his brain for a memory that could have foreshadowed this. As a child, Ariel had never brought up any conversations with passing-by snakes. Not that there were many to be found in Spinner's End, but there must have been _something _he'd missed.

Sighing, he threw himself out of the chair and poured a glass of mead. The boy was one as well, and from what they'd said, it sounded like they'd spoken to the serpent in front of the entire class. There was no doubt that half the school was buzzing with the news that the Potters were new dark lords on the rise.

Snape supposed he should tell the mutts about this. Seeing as Black was now Harry's guardian, it would be prudent to let him know of any disturbing dark qualities that made themselves present in his godson.

"Lupin," he called into the Floo, "I need a word."

He got an answer back far too quickly, "What can I help you with, Severus?"

"Bring the mutt through," Snape sighed, "there's something I need to discuss with the two of you."

"Alright, give us a moment."

Snape impatiently sat down at his desk. He never thought he'd invite Lupin and Black into his private quarters for a talk, but here he was, doing just that.

He was about to get up and yell for them to hurry up when they came through. Black was in his human form, to Snape's disappointment.

"What's happened?" Black asked, worry lines etched in his forehead.

Snape rolled his eyes as he took a sip of his mead, "I believe it's far too early in the conversation for dramatics, Black."

Black's posture relaxed, "Nothing's wrong with Harry?"

"Well I didn't say _that_." Snape sneered.

Lupin stepped forward, "Severus, don't play games with us. What's going on?"

Snape pretended not to see Black's nasty glower out of the corner of his eye. He truly wanted to drag this out and make them squirm, but that would mean he'd have to spend more time with them. And Ariel was going to be arriving any minute.

"It seems," Snape took another sip of his drink, "That Ariel and Harry have a rather… unexpected gift."

Lupin and Black blinked, "A gift?" Black asked warily.

"They're both parseltongues." Snape said bluntly. He quite enjoyed watching the both of them pale. This new development scared him just as badly, but he was much better at hiding it. "I do hope you're not planning on reacting the same way when you speak to Harry." Snape said sarcastically.

"How is that even possible?" Black whispered, "They're not Slytherin, James was Gryffindor-"

"Minerva said the same thing." Snape interrupted rudely, "I have yet to speak to Albus about it, but from the way he reacted, he seemed just as surprised."

"Are you sure?" Lupin demanded.

Snape curled his lip, "Quite, Lupin. I watched them do it." Black was about to say something else when Snape cut him off, "I'm not here to debate what may or may not be the cause of this. I'm simply here to let you know so that you can reassure Harry that he's not some destined dark lord."

"Of course he's not!" Black yelled, "That's ridiculous-"

"-which is why you need to tell him that." Snape said coolly. Honestly, did the Gryffindors ever look at the big picture? "They did so in front of a class, so I'm sure the entire school is in an uproar at this point. It would do the boy well if you found him and showed him that not everyone is thinking the same thing in regards to this."

"What happened, exactly?" Black asked as he paced the room.

"It would seem that Draco Malfoy decided to would be fun to prank Harry by dressing up as a Dementor." Snape began slowly, knowing Black was going to cut him off once heard what the imp had done.

"_HE DID WHAT?" _the mutt roared.

"Oh, do keep the theatrics to a minimum." Snape rolled his eyes, "Ariel cast a defensive spell before he could hit them on his broom-"

"_Where are the Slytherin common rooms?" _Black hissed.

"Calm down Padfoot," Lupin hushed the mutt, "Then what happened Severus?"

"She apparently proceeded to continue to attack him-"

"_DAMN RIGHT SHE DID!" _Black yelled.

"_Padfoot_." Lupin glared.

Snape raised an eyebrow, "I'm not going to continue if I'm subjected to Black's commentary."

"Fine, fine." Black spat impatiently, "Then what happened?"

"Ariel cast a second _Stupefy. _In retaliation to that, Malfoy conjured a snake, and Ariel goaded it to scare Malfoy." Snape watched the Marauders expressions carefully.

Lupin was doing his best to mask his emotions, while Black was failing miserably. "She- the snake didn't attack Malfoy, did it?" Black whispered.

"Of course not, you imbecile." Snape snarled, "She's not sadistic."

Lupin shook his head wildly, "He didn't mean-"

"You will both listen to me." Snape thundered, getting angrier by the second. Their answers were reactions he was expecting from students, not two full grown wizards who were going to be parents to Harry Potter. "If you cannot find it in yourselves to control your emotions when it comes to talking to Harry and you make him think he's You-Know-Who reincarnate, so help me I will skin the two of you alive and turn you into a rug. I asked you here because Black is now Harry's guardian and I think it would be prudent if you spoke to him about this."

"What about Ariel?" Lupin asked worriedly.

"I'll be speaking with her." Snape replied curtly, "It would be best if you two went and found Harry now, as I'm expecting Ariel any minute."

Black was at the Floo before Snape could blink. Lupin gave Snape a long look as he followed his friend, "Tell- tell Ariel if she needs us, she knows where to find us. Please, Severus?"

"Only if I must." Was his nasty reply.

He wasn't alone two minutes when another knock came at the door, "Dad?"

"Enter." He called, leaning back in his chair as Ariel walked in.

Her expression was blank as she stood in front of him, her arms crossed.

He raised a brow, "Is there something wrong?"

"You told Damon you were going to make him spend holidays with his uncle even if he didn't want to go?" she asked coolly.

Snape mentally berated himself for not remembering to speak to her about this. "I apologized to him earlier this morning." He looked down at the parchment in order to avoid her furious glower. Harry might have Lily's eyes, but when Ariel was angry, she reminded Snape so much of her. "It was inexcusable. I was angry and panicked at the time and wasn't thinking of the repercussions of my words."

He heard her sigh loudly and sit down in one of the wooden chairs, "We have to get him out of there."

"I know," he looked up to see that Ariel no longer looked mad, but worried, "Before the end of term I will be speaking to the Headmaster about it."

She gave him a long look, "I- I'm sorry about making you so upset last night. I didn't realize I had thrown you into such a panic until Damon told me what you had threatened him with. I know you wouldn't have done that if you weren't desperate. It doesn't excuse it, but I understand."

There went that blasted pain in his chest. "Child-"

She held up a hand, "_However, _you know that what we did was to free an innocent man, right?"

Snape felt his lip twitch, "Yes, Ariel, I realize that. That doesn't excuse the fact that you chose not to confide in me. Professor Lupin was extremely reckless in letting you and Harry go with him to see Black."

"I did confide in you, you chose not to believe me." Ariel shot back.

"You can't earnestly blame me for that. It's well known throughout the wizarding world that up until this morning, Sirius Black was responsible for the betrayal of your parents. Not even Dumbledore thought your father would have changed Keepers at the last second." Snape pointed out, although he felt a twinge of guilt.

Her expression softened. "I know, I know." She mumbled, "I just- what we did, what we were planning on doing was worth it."

Snape had to try very hard not to make a sarcastic remark regarding Black's freedom and was relieved when Ariel changed the subject, "Are you angry with me?"

Clasping his hands tightly in front of him, he tried to soften his expression, "I'm disappointed."

"I'm sorry I never told you," she blurted out, "I didn't know it was something bad. I've always been able to talk to them and Harry had mentioned it in passing too. I never expected this to be something evil, or I would have told you."

Snape blinked in shock, "Child, I was not referring to you being a parseltongue, I was speaking of you continually hexing Mr. Malfoy."

The girl turned as red as her hair, "Oh," she mumbled, "I'm sorry about that too. He- he was trying to scare Harry because he Boggart was a Dementor, and then he called us dark wizards- I just snapped."

"I know," Snape leaned forward, "but Ariel, you cannot let your temper get the best of you when it comes to Draco Malfoy. His father is too powerful. If you were to do something out of anger to him, it could mean a world of problems. I'm sure I'll be hearing from him soon about this." He frowned. A meeting with Lucius, although infrequent, was never pleasant. Before the nightmare in Diagon Alley, the only time he'd seen Lucius was if he was by with the board of governors to inspect the school, and that was in passing. Knowing Draco, he was probably writing to his father right now about how the Potters had gotten away with making a fool out of him.

"He deserved it." Ariel muttered darkly.

Snape's eyes narrowed, "That is beside the point, Ariel. You _cannot _just start shooting off spells because he sparked your temper. You'll find that many people throughout your life will say and do things that upset you, but you can't just start duels with them because you feel it isn't right. It will do you more damage than good."

"So you're telling me that if someone was to insult me to you that you wouldn't wanna hex them?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

He tried to hide the smile playing on his lips, "I'm an adult."

"You just said," Ariel deepened her voice to sound like his, "'_throughout your life, people will say and do things that upset you_.'"

It wasn't a flattering impression. "Don't do that," Snape snapped, "and by the time you're an adult, you'll realize that there is a time and a place for dueling, but it doesn't pertain to when people childishly dress up as Dementors to scare you."

"You're acting as if I didn't have a reason to be angry." Ariel shot back, "He could have really hurt Harry!"

Snape pinched the bridge of his nose, "Ariel, believe me, I am more than thrilled that you thought quickly and cast _Stupefy_. However, I am upset that you didn't stop there."

The girl kept silent, staring intently at the floor. This seemed to be becoming a common theme lately. Apparently, Snape realized, when teenagers wanted to be defiant, they stopped talking. He sighed deeply and leaned forward, "Ariel, when did you first start speaking to snakes?"

She didn't lift her head, "I dunno," she said softly, "I remember when I was really little I used to talk to them if I was playing outside. They usually ran off if they saw you, though."

"And you never thought to tell me this?" he asked.

She shrugged, "It's like I said before, I thought it was just something anyone could do. I didn't think it was bad."

"It's not _bad_." He scowled at the term, "I will not have you label yourself as such. It's simply a talent that… dark wizards throughout history have. Anyone who speaks parseltongue comes from Slytherin as well, as Salazar Slytherin was the first."

"But people will think we're evil because You-Know-Who spoke it, and we defeated him." Ariel whispered.

"Since when have you ever cared about what others thought of you?" Snape asked wryly.

She finally looked up and met his gaze, "I don't, but-"

"Do you think Harry is destined to be the next dark lord?" Snape asked, knowing exactly how he was going to prove his point.

Ariel looked alarmed, "No!"

"But he speaks parseltongue." Snape pointed out.

She was turning red again, "But-" she sputtered for words.

He raised an eyebrow and waited for her to respond. She finally fell silent again and sighed, "Alright, I see your point, Dad." She leaned forward, "Then what does it mean? Why can we talk to snakes if we're not even in Slytherin?"

"I don't know, child." Snape said, softening his voice.

Ariel was quiet for a minute. "Did you know any Death Eaters that could speak it, besides Voldemort?" she asked slowly.

A bit caught off guard that she had mentioned him having relations with Death Eaters, Snape cleared his throat, "No, Ariel I didn't."

She was quiet again before her next question, "Do Professor Lupin and Sirius know?"

"Yes," Snape nodded, a bit relieved her question wasn't about Death Eaters, "I Floo'd them while you were eating. I asked them to speak with your brother."

"They sent me an owl during lunch, I guess it was before they came to speak to you." Ariel said, "They invited Harry and I to dinner tonight, is that okay?"

Her dark eyes were begging him to say yes. She knew she was grounded, and after today's events, Snape should have said no before she could finish the sentence, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. As much as he hated to admit it, maybe she needed other adult's reassurances to show her that she wasn't some dark lord. "Yes," he heard himself say, "be back here half an hour before curfew."

Merlin, if Lupin and Black even hinted at the possibility that his daughter might be dark, he was going to make sure they wished the Dementors _had _gotten them last night.


End file.
